


Fires of Spring

by shnixangel



Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 09:16:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7929181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnixangel/pseuds/shnixangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick has had crushes in his life.  When that’s happened, he has become quickly obsessed with that person but it’s usually gone as fast as it’s appeared.  Mainly something to do with the fact that he would ignore them out of fear of saying something stupid or embarrassing himself.</p><p>However, his crush on Louis Tomlinson didn’t seem to be going away by a long shot.</p><p>When Harry invites Nick to stay with him in LA in April 2016, he finds his crush intensifying when he discovers that Louis is staying with Harry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fires of Spring

**Author's Note:**

> This was started back in April when Nick actually went to LA. I couldn't have finished it off without Shniam's help and encouragement!

Nick wasn’t entirely sure when his crush on Louis had really started. If he had to pin it down though, it was probably when One Direction had come into the Live Lounge in November 2015. The interview had been excellent, especially with Harry on voice rest and that stupid voice app that kept talking for him. 

There had been several moments when he’d caught Louis’ eye and Louis had smiled warmly at him and Nick found he felt butterflies in his stomach as he'd smile back.

Nick had had crushes in his life, and when he had a crush on somebody, he normally fell stupidly hard and fast, but it would fizzle out fairly quickly when he didn’t see the crush for a bit of time. He also had a pretty terrible track record of ignoring his crushes entirely because he was so afraid of saying something stupid, that he felt it was best to ignore them until he was over his crush.

He wouldn’t say that he and Louis were friends. They got on well when they saw each other, but it was always in a work environment and with Harry around – Harry was a great friend to Nick, as was Louis to Harry, so there were occasions when Harry would bring Louis to a party that Nick was dj’ing at, or Nick would turn up to Harry’s house and Louis would be there, but they’d never really had anything to do with each other without Harry’s presence.

So, when on the radio show, Louis had been mentioned again, Fiona had cornered him as a song played.

‘You fancy him, don’t you?’ She grinned at Nick as he scrolled through Twitter on the screen in front of him.  
‘Fancy who?’ Nick asked vaguely, reading a few Tweets.  
‘Louis.’ She said smugly, leaning against his desk, forcing Nick to look at her.  
‘Louis who?’  
‘Tomlinson.’

Nick’s face flamed quickly. ‘No, I do not!’

Fiona threw her head back and laughed. ‘Oh my god, you so do!’  
‘Fifi, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Nick said haughtily, turning back to his computer screen and waiting for Fiona to walk away, chuckling to herself.

In all honesty, Nick knew he’d been thinking about Louis quite often since he’d seen him at The X Factor final before Christmas. But he’d tried to put Louis out of his mind and had done so with a little success.

*** 

Later that evening, with Pig curled up in her basket in the lounge, the flat locked up for the night and Nick set up in bed with his laptop, he’d been planning to watch a film on Netflix, but Fiona’s comments that morning had come back to him and he’d found himself Googling Louis’ name.

Understandably, one of the first things that came up were all the rumours about Louis and Harry being together. Nick knew that wasn’t true. Nick knew that Harry was bisexual, but as far as he knew, Louis was as straight as a dye so he’d always scoffed when he’d been asked about it.

Clicking on a Tumblr link, his account opened and he saw various photos of Louis pop up. Most were recent, from LA where he’d been over Christmas and New Year, a fair few from the Brits when he’d been in London with Liam, and then a tag caught Nick’s eye.

‘What on earth is Tomlinshaw when it’s at home?’ He said out loud, clicking on a link. Scrolling down a bit he was surprised to find it was a short story about Louis and himself.

‘What the fuck?’ He asked, sitting up in bed and taking a large sip of his glass of wine before returning to the computer. He sat open mouthed as he searched for the Tomlinshaw tag and was almost speechless at the amount of stuff that came up, linking him and Louis together.

What he found the most embarrassing was that people had noticed him talking about Louis on the radio a fair amount recently. Nick knew he had a bad habit of talking about the person he fancied a lot so his friends guessed quickly when he had a crush. So to find out that people he didn’t know but listened to his show every morning thought he had a crush on Louis meant he was being more obvious than he thought.

Finishing his wine, Nick pressed the Back button a few times, going back to the story he’d first found about them. He knew that he should just shut the laptop and ignore his inquisitive nature but he knew that he’d lie in bed and think about it and really, he should just get this over and done with.

It wasn’t a very long post, but it was extraordinarily explicit and Nick wasn’t surprised to feel his cock fattening up beneath the laptop as he read about himself blowing Louis. By the time he’d finished reading it, his cock was pushing against his boxers and there was a small wet patch. Pushing the laptop to the other side of the bed, his slid his hand under the material and wrapped his wrist around his cock.

Fumbling about in the bedside table, Nick pulled out a small tube of lubricant and squeezed a small amount onto his fingers before he dropped the tube, reaching around to his hole and getting more comfortable on the bed, biting down on his bottom lip as he pushed the index finger on his left hand into his hole as he tightened his right hand around his cock and pulled himself quickly several times. He pushed his finger further in and his hips bucked up into his hand and he gasped loudly, eyes squeezed shut and mouth dry as he came hard over his hand and stomach, a picture of Louis behind his closed eyes.

*** 

After that night, Nick found himself religiously thinking of Louis, checking Tumblr daily to see if there were any new pictures and he’d found a website called AO3 and he’d read more in the last two weeks than he’d done in at least a year. He found himself turning down invitations out as he found more stories that he wanted to read and in bed earlier and earlier most nights, Pig looking at him with suspicious curiosity as he’d shut the door behind him and he’d gone through a lot of lube as he came to thoughts of fucking Louis more than he sure was healthy.

*** 

Despite all of this, Nick kept telling himself that he didn’t fancy Louis as such, it was just he enjoyed reading about them, and seeing the few drawings of them that there were together, but it all came to a head one night when he bumped into Louis at a party in mid March.

Nick jumped as he felt a hand run over the back of his shoulders. 

‘Hi Nick.’ Louis grinned at him as he stood next to Nick at the bar.  
Nick turned around to face Louis, feeling his heart start racing in his chest. ‘Hey Louis, how are you?’ He asked as Louis leant in to hug him hello.  
‘I’m good. Long time no see.’ Louis replied, pulling away. ‘How you doing? I didn’t know you knew Adam.’ He said, referring to the host of the party.

‘Just through a friend of a friend, here with some friends, that’s all. How do you know him?’ Nick asked, turning his body to face Louis, smiling widely at him.  
‘Through Harry. Think that’s how I know most people, he’s such a social butterfly!’ Louis laughed, ordering his drink as the barman came over. ‘What can I get you?’ He asked Nick, his fingers pulling his fringe straight, somewhat nervously.  
‘Oh! I’ll just have a Corona.’ Nick replied, ‘Thanks.’

After they’d both got drinks, Louis nodded over towards a quieter corner of the party questioningly. Nick smiled and followed him, seeing Fiona out of the corner of his eye who was grinning and sticking a thumb up at him. Nick poked his tongue out at her and turned away.

‘So, how’s the hiatus going?’ Nick asked, as Louis leant up against a wall, taking a mouthful of his beer, and Nick couldn’t help but watch the bottle in Louis’ mouth. Nick swallowed, his mouth suddenly quite dry.

‘It’s good, it’s nice to have a break.’ Louis replied as Nick stood closer to him to hear him over the music. ‘Done a bit of writing, but mainly chilling out and watching football and films. You know, living the dream!’ Louis laughed loudly.

Before Nick knew it, an hour had passed and Fiona was coming over. 

‘Nick, I’m heading off, I’ll see you on Monday, yeah?’ She said, giving him a knowing wink and grin.  
‘No, no, it’s fine, look, erm, I need to head off as well.’ He said to Louis, not sure how he was going to extrapolate himself from Louis’ company without doing something stupid or embarrassing. ‘I thought you were staying at mine, anyway?’ He asked Fiona.  
‘Well…’ She began and Nick glared at her, begging her to not say what he thought she was about to.

She laughed, raising her eyebrows at Louis who looked between them amused, but confused.

‘It’s been nice to see you and catch up.’ Louis said. ‘Hopefully see you soon, yeah?’ He asked.

Nick smiled. ‘Hope so, yeah.’ He replied, leaning in to hug Louis briefly. 

*** 

‘Oh my god, I’m so fucked.’ He groaned, getting into the car with Fiona a short while later.

Fiona laughed loudly. ‘I told you that you fancied him!’  
Nick held his head in his hands. ‘I know, and I’ve been Googling him for weeks, but I thought it was one of those empty crushes, you know, that when you see somebody in person, they aren’t what you’re expecting and then it goes away, and fuck, that’s not what happened tonight!’ He sighed. 

‘You’ve been Googling him for weeks?! Oh my god Nick, you’ve got it so bad!’ She laughed again.  
‘God, if you knew…’ Nick trailed off, before managing to get his brain to mouth filter into gear. He sat up. ‘I hate myself right now! He’s not even gay!’

Fiona looked at him and shook her head. ‘I dunno Nick, he was flirting with you.’

Nick looked confused. ‘No he wasn’t!’ He exclaimed. Then ‘Was he?’ Nick asked in surprise.  
‘You didn’t notice?’ She asked and continued as Nick shook his head. ‘His body language was a dead giveaway. His body was turned to you all the time, he kept playing with his hair and watching you really closely.’ She told him.

‘Nope, shut up. He wasn’t and don’t give me false hope.’ He insisted as the car lurched forwards at the next set of lights.

‘Okay.’ Fiona sing-songed. ‘This is so funny!’ She giggled.

*** 

‘Come on Grim, please come and visit me. The weather will be hot, you can get a tan and chat up hot men on the beach…’ Harry whined as Nick sat talking to him on Skype.  
‘Haz…there is more to me than chatting up hot men, you know.’ He grinned, sipping on his tea.  
‘Yeah, shagging hot men.’ Harry laughed. ‘Come on, pleeeeeaaaassssseeeeeee!’ He needled again.  
‘I dunno Haz…’ Nick trailed off.  
‘Ok, tell me why it’s a bad idea.’ Harry insisted.  
‘Because your fans are fucking mental, I’m sorry, Haz, but it’s true and I’ll get shit and…’

Harry tilted his head to one side. ‘Seriously? You’re worried about a bit of twitter abuse? Come on...you know you want to! Louis’ here and he’d be happy to see you, and my sister is coming out…’ 

Nick sat up. ‘You see Louis often?’ He asked.  
‘All the time, but we can’t be seen together – you know that! He’s been staying with me, and yet nobody has picked up on that.’ Harry laughed. ‘Honestly, he’s papped all over the place with Freddie, but everyone seems to think that he’s living somewhere else.’

‘How’s he dealing with the baby?’ Nick asked curiously. He’d been extremely surprised when the story had broken last year.

‘Really well. You know, considering that it was totally unexpected, but he’s great with babies, so he’s a natural.’ Harry replied, clearly proud of how Louis was handling everything.  
‘I’m really pleased for him.’

As Harry opened his mouth to reply, Louis wandered into shot behind him. 

‘Hey Nick.’ Louis called, raising the beer in his hand at the computer screen towards Nick as he passed behind the sofa.  
‘Hey Louis…how you doing?’ Nick asked, sitting forward so he could see the screen better.  
‘I’m good. You?’ Louis asked, plonking himself next to Harry and waving a brief hello.  
‘I’m good, really great.’

‘Nick’s thinking of coming to LA for his April holidays.’ Harry said to Louis.

Nick groaned. ‘No, I’m not. You’re trying to talk me into it.’  
‘You should come, it’s so good here at the moment. Weather’s good, nice to be out and about.’ Louis encouraged.  
‘Yeah, I keep seeing pap shots of you in the sunshine with Freddie…’ Nick smiled.

Nick saw the fond look cross Louis’ face almost immediately as Louis thought of Freddie. ‘Yeah, the pap walks are getting a little boring, but I love spending time with him. You should come and meet him.’ Louis suggested with a smile.

‘Tell Nick to come and visit me!’ Harry whined, looking pleadingly at Louis, resting his head on Louis’ shoulder.

‘Haz, if you can’t convince one of your best mates to visit you, he’s hardly going to listen to me now, is he?’ Louis laughed. He turned back to the computer. ‘Seriously, you should, be great to see you.’ He said before picking his beer back up and disappearing from the screen.

*** 

So, a week later, Nick found himself checking into London Heathrow for a flight to LA. He’d tried to arrange a private place to stay, but when Harry knew he was coming, he’d absolutely insisted that Nick stay with him and Louis.

*** 

He arrived at LAX at 2pm on Saturday afternoon, having slept most of the 11 hours flying time. He loved doing The Breakfast Show, but he felt that he’d not slept properly for the last three and a half years, so a chance to do nothing for 11 hours had been wonderful.

A chauffeur picked him up once he’d collected his bags and he made his way through the busy roads of Los Angeles before they started the climb on a quiet road, LA down below them and Nick gazed at the view wearily.

The car pulled up at a gated house in Beverly Hills about 45 minutes later and as the gates opened, he saw Louis wandering out of the house, just in a pair of denim shorts and flip flops.

‘Oh Jesus Christ…’ Nick muttered to himself, feeling particularly grotty after the flight, despite having changed and tried to spruce himself up. How he was meant to greet a topless Louis without drooling all over him?

The car came to a standstill and Nick took a deep breath as the chauffeur opened the rear door for him. 

‘Hey! You made it!’ Louis grinned widely at Nick, stepping forward to hug him hello.  
‘Hey, looks that way!’ Nick laughed nervously as he hugged Louis briefly, trying not to think too much about how his hands enveloped his back almost entirely.  
‘How was your flight?’ Louis asked, grabbing one of the suitcases.

‘Good, I slept pretty much the whole way. This weather’s pretty nice isn’t it?’ Nick asked, tipping the driver and taking out the second suitcase and grabbing his flight bag, following Louis inside the house. ‘Wow, I always forget just how quiet it is up here.’ He commented, unable to hear anything other than birds chirping in the trees. It was late afternoon in Los Angeles and Nick couldn’t wait to get some more sleep, as he was exhausted.

‘It’s great at the moment. Early 20’s but feels warmer than that.’ Louis commented as he opened the front door and stood aside, letting Nick past.

‘I can’t wait to just sit around and not do very much for a couple of weeks!’ Nick said, putting his bags down as Louis shut the front door.

‘Haz thought you could have the guest suite at the far end of the house – thought it might be a bit more private if you…well, decided to bring somebody back.’ Louis smirked.

Nick rolled his eyes at Louis. ‘Seriously, I don’t know why he thinks I’m here to get laid every time I come to LA!’

Louis shrugged. ‘Maybe because you do?’ He suggested with a laugh.  
‘Once! It happened once!’ Nick protested, his cheeks flaming red.  
‘A few times though, that once, eh?!’ Louis teased, nudging Nick with his elbow as he left Nick’s bag in the hallway and headed into the kitchen. ‘Beer?’

‘Think I’m going to need one!’ Nick grinned. ‘Where is the lanky one anyway?’ He asked as Louis pulled out two beers, knocked the tops off of them and passed one to Nick.  
‘Some yoga crap. I don’t know, I wasn’t really listening!’ Louis laughed.

*** 

An hour later, Nick and Louis were sat by the pool, both on sun loungers and Nick had just started to drift off when he heard Harry’s voice calling through the house.

‘Down here!’ Louis hollered loudly, making Nick jump.  
‘Shh! It’s the middle of the night!’ Nick complained, opening his eyes and seeing that the sun was starting to go down.  
‘Oh yeah, forgot you were ancient.’ Louis grinned as Harry appeared at the top of the stairs. ‘Shh…this one is tired and we mustn’t wake him!’ Louis laughed.

‘Tosser.’ Nick muttered, winking at Louis as he stood up to greet Harry.

*** 

‘Right, I’m off, you two be good!’ Louis hollered as he walked into the kitchen, a pair of dark blue jeans on, which clung to his legs and a loose white t-shirt that hung low on his collarbones.

Nick glanced up from where he was chopping tomatoes and swore as he nearly cut his index finger off. ‘Shit.’ He muttered, dropping the knife and sticking his thumb in his mouth to stop the bleeding.

‘Grim! Don’t bleed all over the bloody tomatoes!’ Harry groaned and then grinned to himself. ‘Bloody tomatoes, haha!’ He laughed.

Louis glanced at Nick and rolled his eyes conspiratorially at him. ‘Oh my god…right, I’ll see you two in the morning then.’  
‘You bringing Freddie back here in the morning?’ Harry asked as he rifled around in his first aid kit for a plaster.  
‘Yeah, that ok? He’ll be here for all of tomorrow and tomorrow night.’ Louis said, picking up his watch and slipping it onto his wrist.  
‘Fine by me. Grim?’ Harry asked, passing the plaster to Nick.

Nick shook his head. ‘No, why would I mind? Be nice to meet him.’ He smiled warmly at Louis.

‘Well, don’t be boring and stay in!’ Louis grinned on his way out of the door.

‘How did you even cut your thumb?’ Harry asked after Louis had left.  
‘Not sure, knife just slipped I think.’ Nick replied, putting the plaster on and trying to put Louis out of his mind.

*** 

‘You know, whilst we’re here, you should meet…’ Harry started, passing Nick a glass of wine as they curled up on the outside sofa after dinner.  
‘I’m going to stop you right there. I do not need setting up.’ Nick told him firmly.  
‘But you need to get laid, you’re so wound up.’ Harry replied.  
‘I am bloody not!’  
‘How long has it been?’ Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at Nick.  
‘Few weeks, but it’s fine, you know me, I don’t want anything serious.’ Nick said.  
‘It doesn’t have to be serious.’  
‘Haz, if you’re trying to set me up with a friend of yours, then I won’t be able to just leave them behind afterwards and I hate the awkwardness it can cause.’ Nick yawned, taking a large sip of his wine.  
‘Mate, you’re great at staying friends with hook ups. Like, the master of it.’ Harry teased him. ‘I mean, hello, have you met me?!’ Harry winked.

Nick rolled his eyes. ‘What we did was hardly a hook up! It was a drunken hand job in my bed when you were handsy and I was horny, that’s all.’ Nick sighed, remembering back to a few years ago.

‘Nicholas! I’m offended!’ Harry laughed easily, grateful for about the hundredth time that their friendship hadn’t suffered because of it.

*** 

Nick was awake at 8am the following day, which wasn’t too bad considering the jet lag. He and Harry had said their goodnights after just one glass of wine when Nick was practically asleep on the sofa outside.

He let himself out of the guest quarters and headed into the kitchen, unlocking the door with the key to the door that Harry had left outside for him. 

There was no sign of life, so Nick opened the fridge and pulled out various items to make into a juice when he spied a juicer sat on the worktop nearby.

He’d just finished making a juice when he heard the front door open, and the sound of a baby crying filtered into the house.

‘Shhh little one, you’ll wake Uncle Harry.’ Nick heard Louis hush Freddie and then the door slammed. ‘Fuck it.’ Louis complained loudly.

Nick laughed and headed into the hallway. ‘Should you be swearing in front of your son?’ He asked.  
‘He’s 3 months old, Nick, he can’t understand a word I say!’ Louis grinned.  
‘He will one day and his first word might be fuck!’ Nick warned him with a smile.  
‘Shh! Don’t say it then!’ Louis laughed. ‘Haz not up yet?’ He asked, glancing around.  
‘Nope, just me for company I’m afraid.’ Nick smiled, wandering back into the kitchen.

Louis followed a minute or so later, Freddie propped against his shoulder, a muslin slung over his shoulder. ‘You’ll have to do then.’ He grinned, sliding onto one of the kitchen stools.  
‘Shucks Tomlinson, you know how to make a man feel wanted!’ Nick grinned back, a slight blush on his cheeks.  
‘From what I’ve heard, that’s not really a problem for you now, is it?’ Louis winked.

Nick held his hands up in shock. ‘I don’t know what you mean! I don’t know what vicious lies Harry has been spreading around but they are all completely untrue!’  
‘So, no boy toy in your room this morning?’ Louis laughed  
‘I arrived yesterday Louis!’ Nick gasped. He paused for a moment. ‘Is that really what you think of me?’ He asked, seriously.

Louis shrugged as Freddie shuffled around on his shoulder. ‘Just what I’ve heard, that’s all.’ He smiled. ‘Anyway, there’s no harm in that is there? A hook up every now and then does everybody the world of good.’

Nick nodded slowly, picking up his juice. ‘So, come on then, hand the boy over.’ He smiled, changing the subject before he got too caught up in the fact Louis Tomlinson thought he slept around.

*** 

Louis appeared by the pool around lunchtime, having put Freddie down for another nap.  
‘He certainly seems to love his sleep.’ Nick commented as Harry laid the table with mats, cutlery and condiments.  
‘He’s like his father.’ Harry commented, winking at Louis who pretended to glare back at Harry.  
‘I resent that.’ Louis replied.  
‘Yeah, cos you’ve never slept in, never missed a meeting or a photo shoot or…’ Harry began with a teasing smile.

‘Oh shut your cake hole Styles! Fine, I sleep in sometimes!’ He laughed, sitting down on the sun lounger next to Nick.

Nick smiled at him as the lounger shifted slightly with Louis’ weight. ‘How long will he sleep for?’ He asked.  
‘Couple of hours I reckon, he’ll have a feed around 4pm, then another at 6pm, then a bath and then more milk around 9pm and then bedtime.’ Louis yawned.  
‘And will it be bedtime for you as well?!’ Harry laughed. ‘What time did you pick Freddie up this morning?’  
‘Like, 7am?’ Louis guessed.  
‘Where did you get to last night?’ Harry asked.  
‘Just out.’ Louis replied, leaning behind Nick and laying down so that his stomach was leant up against Nick’s arse. ‘What’s for lunch?’

Nick stood up, feeling very hot all of a sudden at how close Louis was to him.  
‘Just some cold meats, cheeses and a salad.’ Harry replied. ‘I’ll go and get it all.’ 

*** 

After the three of them had had a long lunch, with wine and beer, they were dozing on individual sun loungers. Well, Nick wasn’t quite dozing. He was lying down on his side, facing Louis, dark sunglasses on but eyes open as he watched Louis on the lounger next to him. After they’d eaten, Louis had taken his t-shirt off and was simply in a pair of long denim shorts, lying face down on the sun lounger and had been asleep for a while. Nick couldn’t help but watch him, how the sun glistened on his already tanned skin, the way his hair fell down across his face so that Louis couldn’t see out, even if his eyes were open. The muscles in his back flexed every so often before they relaxed and Nick found his mouth watering as he took in the curve of Louis’ back and how his shorts rested tightly over his arse.

He startled as Harry spoke.

‘Lou, I think Freddie is crying.’ Harry said from his sun lounger.  
‘Hmmm…?’ Louis grunted and Nick blew out a breath as Louis looked up sleepily towards Harry.  
‘Freddie. He’s awake. Want me to get him?’ Harry asked, standing up.

Louis yawned and rolled onto his back. ‘Yeah, mate, that’d be great, thank you.’ He smiled as Harry headed into the house.  
‘He’s good with children, isn’t he?’ Nick commented as the crying stopped and they could hear Harry talking nonsense to Freddie on the monitor nearby.  
‘He’s fantastic. Makes a much better father than I do, I’ll tell you that much.’ Louis commented as he stretched out before standing up.  
‘I doubt that very much.’ Nick replied, trying not to stare at Louis’ bare torso.  
‘I can barely look after myself, let alone an actual real baby.’ He sighed. ‘I’m just gonna make him some milk.’ He told Nick before shuffling into the house.

‘Argh!’ Nick growled quietly in frustration as he watched Louis head inside. Why he had thought that staying with Harry for two weeks was a good idea was beyond him. He’d not thought through the practicalities of Louis wandering around in not very much and he feared by the end of the holiday, he’d do something he’d later regret.

*** 

‘He’s got gorgeous eyes.’ Nick commented as he lay with Freddie on his stomach.  
‘Just like mine, mum says.’ Louis replied with a wink in Nick’s direction.  
‘Are you sure about that?’ Nick teased as he gently moved himself up into a sitting position and shuffled Freddie onto his shoulder where the little boy lay his head down, but still looking at Nick slightly suspiciously.  
‘You gonna have children?’ Louis asked, sipping on his beer, wincing as he heard Harry swearing at something in the kitchen.

Nick looked over at Louis and shrugged. ‘I hope so. Guess it depends on the person I want to settle down with.’  
‘Well, surely the person that you’d want to spend your life with would have the same ideals as you – would you really fall head over heels in love with somebody who didn’t want children?’ Louis asked.

Nick looked back to Freddie and shrugged again. ‘I guess not.’ He said.  
‘Have you ever been in love?’ Louis questioned.

Looking back at Louis, Nick shook his head. ‘Not really, no. Like, I’ve thought I’ve loved somebody and maybe even been in love, but…when it’s ended, and I look back on it, no, I haven’t.’ He answered honestly.  
‘Think anyone has ever been in love with you?’

Nick laughed, dislodging Freddie slightly who grumbled about it. ‘Ssh…No, I doubt that very much.’ He smiled.  
‘Doubt what?’ Harry asked appearing in the door way. ‘Dinner’s ready.’  
‘Nick reckons nobody’s ever been in love with him. And he’s never been in love. I mean, at his age…there’s no hope, is there?!’ Louis teased, winking again at Nick as he climbed off the sofa.  
‘Oh my god, Grimmy, you’re so wrong.’ Harry laughed as he took Freddie from Nick.  
‘Really? Who?’

Harry glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him with a smirk before he went back into the kitchen. 

‘Haz, come on, spill the beans.’ Louis pestered.  
‘Ok, he might not have been in love with a boyfriend, and maybe a boyfriend hasn’t been in love with him either, but other people – you have no idea of the effect you have on people, do you?’ Harry asked Nick as Louis took Freddie whilst Harry served dinner onto three plates and passed them around the island in the kitchen and Nick and Louis sat down.

Nick peered at Harry in confusion. ‘What the fuck are you talking about?’  
‘You?’ Louis asked Harry.

Harry laughed. ‘No! Not me!’

Nick looked at Harry. ‘Alright! No need to be so offended, wow, you know how to wound a man!’ He laughed.

Harry raised an eyebrow at Nick. ‘Don’t be so ridiculous. Not me, but I know plenty of others.’  
‘Care to share?’ Louis asked, Freddie rested on his shoulder as he shovelled food into his mouth with his free hand.  
‘No. I’m not going to embarrass them.’ Harry replied, sitting down.  
‘Them? Christ, how many are there?!’ Louis asked.

Nick elbowed Louis in the side. ‘Alright, what is this? Pick on Nick night? Why is it so surprising?!’

Louis let out a loud laugh, spraying food all over the table. 

‘Oh my god…Lou!’ Harry groaned, grabbing a cloth. ‘How are you ever going to teach Freddie to eat nicely if you can’t?!’

Nick took a mouthful of his dinner. ‘I think it’s going to be a lost cause Haz.’ He smiled at Louis.

*** 

‘Sure you don’t want to meet …’ Harry asked the next evening as they got ready to go out.  
‘I’m going to stop you right there.’ Nick said, holding one hand up. ‘Stop trying to set me up with your mates.’  
‘But…’ Harry started.  
‘Leave the man alone!’ Louis sighed. ‘Christ alive Haz, you’ve got to stop setting everyone else up and maybe do something about your own pitiful love life.’  
‘It isn’t pitiful!’ Harry exclaimed.  
‘Have you called him?’ Louis asked accusingly.

Nick looked between the pair of them. ‘Who?!’ He demanded to know.  
Louis looked at Harry. ‘Even Nick doesn’t know? Wow, am I really the only person that knows you two shagged?’

Nick’s jaw dropped open. ‘Who the fuck are you talking about?’ he asked, noticing how red Harry’s face had become.  
‘It’s not important. It was a one-off.’ Harry mumbled.  
‘It wasn’t, and you know it – come on, you know he won’t call you because he thinks you think it was a mistake.’ Louis prodded.  
‘It wasn’t a mistake!’ Harry replied hotly.  
‘Niall doesn’t know that.’ Louis said gently.

‘NIALL?!’ Nick exploded as Harry glared at Louis.  
‘Thanks.’ Harry snapped, storming out of the room.

Nick looked at Louis in disbelief. ‘I don’t know whether to extract the details from you or go and make sure he’s ok! Niall? Like, your Niall?’

Harry reappeared. ‘Yes, Niall, Niall. Wow, Louis, I can’t believe you.’ He barked at Louis, clearly annoyed with him.

Louis shrugged apologetically as Nick moved towards Harry.  
‘Why wouldn’t you tell me?’ Nick asked.  
Harry shrugged reluctantly. ‘Because it’s not going anywhere and I kind of need to just get over it, ok, and talking about it isn’t going to help.’  
‘Why don’t you call him?’ Nick asked.

‘See! This is why I didn’t want anyone to know!’ Harry exclaimed.  
‘How do you know?’ Nick asked Louis.  
‘I kinda…found them…you know…at it…’ Louis grinned. ‘2 weeks ago.’

Nick spun around to Harry again. ‘This is recent?! Fuck me, Harry!’  
‘Don’t give him any ideas!’ Louis laughed. ‘Honestly, Haz, just call him. Come on, do it tonight, I can take Nick to this party tonight, you need to sort you and Niall out.’ Louis said kindly.

Harry shook his head quickly. ‘Nope, absolutely not.’  
‘Don’t make me call him for you.’ Louis said warningly, pulling his phone out of his back pocket.  
‘You wouldn’t…’ Harry started.  
‘Haz, even I know not to goad him!’ Nick laughed, lunging forward and grabbing Louis’ phone from out of his hands and putting his hand over his head as Louis glared at him.  
‘Give it back to me.’ Louis demanded, pouting and putting his hands on his hips.  
‘Make me!’ Nick teased and laughed as Louis jumped up to try and swipe it out of his hand.

‘You’re gonna pay for this Nicholas.’ Louis growled.  
‘Ooh, full name, now I know I’m in trouble!’ Nick laughed, gleefully running out of the room, Louis hot on his heels.  
‘Give it back! Come on, we need to make Harry do something about Niall!’ Louis shouted.  
‘No, we don’t – it’s up to him to call Niall if and when he wants to!’ Nick laughed as he skidded into the lounge and promptly tripping over a door stop. ‘Ouch, fuck it!’ He groaned, doubling over as his big toe throbbed painfully.

‘Ha ha, serves you right!’ Louis laughed, crashing into Nick and pulling his phone from Nick’s hand triumphantly, grinning stupidly in Nick’s face.

Nick took several deep breaths, Louis was incredibly close, his eyes dancing with laughter and Nick’s eyes darted down to Louis’ mouth and up again.

‘Seriously, though, you alright?’ Louis asked as Nick tried to stand up before he did something stupid like lean forward and kiss Louis.  
‘Yeah, I’ll live.’ Nick smiled back. ‘Come on, let’s go and sort Harry out.’

*** 

‘Since when have you two ganged up on me in the past?’ Harry complained as they sat around his swimming pool in the early hours of the following morning. They’d been out, but Harry had been in such a foul mood because of Louis spilling the beans about Niall to Nick that he’d not got into the mood of being out so Nick and Louis had eventually just called a taxi and headed back home.

‘Dunno what you mean.’ Nick yawned, eyes closed as he leant back on a sun lounger.  
‘Yeah, we weren’t ganging up on you!’ Louis laughed.  
‘Aren’t you two mortal enemies? That’s what Google tells me.’ Harry smiled softly.  
‘Yeah, we hate each other, can’t stand to even be in the same room.’ Louis answered sarcastically.  
‘Since when has Google been a reliable source of information anyway?!’ Nick laughed. ‘God knows what sort of thing you’d find on the internet!’  
‘Yeah, the entire of the internet thinks that you and I are shagging Haz and that Niall is as straight as a dye and that’s, like, the last thing that’s true!’ Louis laughed.  
‘You two as well.’ Harry said with a yawn.  
‘Us two what?’ Louis asked.

Nick sat up, suddenly suspicious as to where Harry was going with this line of conversation.

‘So, there’s this website, that, like, it’s got fan fics and stuff on and there’s loads of fics about me and Nick shagging, but lots about you and Nick too.’ Harry replied.

Louis burst out into loud peels of laughter. ‘Me and Nick?! Fuck! Really?!’ He asked, glancing at Nick, who found himself nodding along. 

‘Yeah, hate sex is hot!’ Harry laughed.

Louis fished around in his pocket for his phone. ‘What do I even Google to find that?!’

‘I’m just going to get some water.’ Nick announced as Harry told Louis to go to Tumblr and search for Tomlinshaw.

‘What the fuck is Tomlinshaw?’ Louis asked as Nick headed up the stairs into the house.

‘Fuck…’ Nick muttered to himself. It was one thing that he knew what Tomlinshaw was, but he wasn’t sure he wanted Louis to read what he’d read.

He got a glass of water and drank it very slowly, hearing Harry and Louis laughing away in the garden. Soon, he realised that he couldn’t very well hide out in the kitchen forever and his room was the other side of the garden, so he had to head back outside.

‘Oh my god, Nick, have you seen this stuff?!’ Louis howled with laughter as he spotted Nick.

‘I’m certain he has!’ Harry giggled to himself.  
‘I’ve heard of Tomlinshaw, yeah.’ Nick admitted.  
‘It’s so explicit! God, we hate each other in some of these!’  
‘Oh my god, are you speed reading you and Nick porn?!’ Harry laughed loudly.  
‘No! I mean, it’s right there, you know!’ Louis blustered.  
‘Yeah, yeah, whatever Tommo!’ Harry laughed again, clearly finding himself hilarious.

Nick coughed briefly. ‘I’m off to bed, see you guys tomorrow. Enjoy the porn Louis!’ Nick winked, trying to sound much more casual than he felt, before heading up the stairs to his room, hearing Harry fall off of his sun lounger with laughter and Louis telling Harry to fuck off, laughter in his own voice.

*** 

‘Harry told Louis what Tomlinshaw is.’ Nick messaged Fifi once he was in bed.  
‘What the hell is Tomlinshaw?’ Fifi replied a few minutes later as Nick turned off the bedside lamp.  
‘Google it. I’m fucked.’

*** 

‘So, Niall eh?’ Nick asked Harry as they drove into Santa Monica to get coffee the next morning.  
‘I can’t believe he blabbed.’ Harry said, staring resolutely out of the driver’s window to check for oncoming traffic.  
‘You know what, if I’m the only person that knows, other than him, you and Niall, then maybe it’s not that bad. Anyway, it’s not really about Louis telling me, is it?’ Nick pried gently.

Harry shrugged as he pulled into a parking space. ‘Maybe not.’  
‘Why haven’t you called Niall? What happened for the two of you to fall into bed, anyway?’ Nick asked, undoing his seat belt and opening the car door.  
‘Too much to drink, mainly, talking about the fact that neither of us have had sex in a while and one thing lead to another…’ Harry replied, locking the car remotely as they walked into Starbucks.  
‘And so you think he couldn’t possibly be into you?’ Nick asked.  
‘He’s not Grimmy, I know he’s not.’ Harry replied tetchily.  
‘How do you know? How can you if you haven’t you spoken to him?’ Nick replied firmly.

Harry glared at Nick as they stood in the line, fully aware of people watching them.  
‘Not now, eh, I’ll tell you more in the car.’

*** 

‘Niall only got out of a long term relationship six months ago, and I just know that he’s not ready for anything else.’ Harry told him as they headed back home.  
‘He was in a long-term relationship? Who with?’  
‘That doesn’t matter, but he was pretty heartbroken about it and I was just the rebound guy.’ 

Nick sipped on his iced latte. ‘How long have you…you know, liked him?’  
‘Couple of months. We hung out loads at the start of the break, and then he went home, but came back 2 weeks ago for a week and that’s when we hooked up. And then he left and I haven’t heard from him since.’  
‘You should call him, you know that, right?’

Harry nodded. ‘Yeah, I know I should.’

*** 

The following day, Nick spent lazing by the pool. Harry had mysteriously disappeared first thing that morning and hadn’t said when he’d be back. Nick knew that he could borrow one of the many cars in the garage, but was more than happy to sit around and top up his tan. He’d not seen Louis since the previous night when he knew he’d gone to see Freddie so he was enjoying having the day to himself.

When the doorbell went at 3 o’clock, Nick heaved himself off of the sun lounger and went to check the intercom. Seeing that it was Louis, he let him in.

‘Hey mate, where’s Haz?’ Louis asked as he stepped into the house.  
‘Dunno. Went out first thing and haven’t heard from him since.’ Nick replied.  
‘There’s a party tonight, fancy going to it?’ Louis suggested, toeing off his shoes.  
‘Are you asking me on a date?!’ Nick teased.

Louis glared up at him. ‘As if.’ He snorted. ‘Do you want to go or not?’  
Nick shrugged. ‘Sure, why not?’

*** 

Nick hiccupped as he fell through Harry’s front door 12 hours later. ‘Shh!’ He hushed himself, descending into peals of laughter as Louis smacked into his back trying to get through the door.

‘Oh my god, are you always such a giggly drunk?!’ Louis laughed as he pushed Nick inside, letting the door slam behind them.  
‘Yep!’ Nick giggled, as if proving the point, stumbling against the wall as he hopped on one foot, trying to take his shoes off.

Louis rolled his eyes, swearing. ‘Fuck me, Nick…!’ He laughed, crouching down to undo Nick’s shoes, moving back up as Nick kicked them off.

‘I wish!’ Nick laughed, leaning heavily against the door.  
‘You wish what?’ Louis asked, shrugging off his denim jacket and leaving it in a heap on the floor.  
‘What?’ Nick asked, peering at Louis confused.  
‘You said you wish – you wish what?’

Nick shook himself, realising that what he’d said was dangerous. ‘I’ve no idea!’ He lied, laughing again as he tripped over Louis’ jacket. ‘OW!’ He suddenly cried out as a light turned on above them and Nick spun around to see Harry stood watching them, clearly amused.

‘You alright?’ He grinned at Nick and Louis.  
‘He’s a lightweight – no wonder the two of you get on so well!’ Louis teased, nodding in Nick’s direction before heading into the kitchen.  
‘Don’t know what you mean, you were the one who kept plying me with drinks!’ Nick yelled after him. He looked back at Harry. ‘I think I might be sick.’ He told him.

Harry leapt into action, grabbing hold of Nick and steering him towards the nearest bathroom. 

*** 

Nick blinked slowly, a loud banging echoing in his head as he moved his jaw, his mouth tasting as though something had crawled into it and died. 

‘Oh god…’ He mumbled, glancing around to see where he was. It took him a moment or so to realise that he was on the sofa in the main lounge of Harry’s house. So he’d not been able to make it to bed then.

‘Morning!’ A voice sang loudly, Louis appearing into view.  
‘Fuck off.’ Nick muttered, no heat in his voice as he closed his eyes again.  
‘Suffering, are we?’ Louis asked, a smug grin on his face as Nick peered up at him looking over him.  
‘This is all your fault Tomlinson, I hold you entirely responsible.’ Nick said, turning over and then promptly falling off the sofa.

Louis fell about laughing, sitting down on an armchair. ‘Oh my god, you’re so stupid!’

Nick picked himself up, propping himself against the sofa. ‘Get me coffee.’ He said.  
‘Get it yourself!’ Louis laughed, swinging his legs up on the arm of the chair.  
‘Please?’ Nick asked, batting his eyelashes at Louis.

Louis grinned and rolled his eyes. ‘Flirt. Fine, I’ll get you some coffee!’

Nick closed his eyes again and tipped his head back to rest it on the sofa. ‘Oh god, this is bad.’ He said to himself.  
‘What’s bad?’ Harry said, dropping into the space beside him.

‘Bloody hell Harry! Warn a guy, would you?!’ Nick cried, jumping violently.  
‘What’s bad?’ Harry asked again, nudging his elbow into Nick’s side.  
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. Don’t prod me, it’s too early.’ Nick whinged as Louis reappeared with a steaming cup of coffee, a glass of water and some strong painkillers.

Harry smirked up at Louis as he placed the tray down by Nick’s side.  
‘Here you go your majesty.’ Louis teased.  
‘Why thank you kind sir.’ Nick smiled weakly at him, picking up the glass of water and the painkillers. ‘How are you not hungover?’ He asked, peering at Louis who looked as good as always, his hair damp, presumably from a shower he’d already taken.  
‘Didn’t drink as much as you.’ Louis shrugged simply.  
‘You got me drinks all night, are you telling me you were just trying to get me drunk and not yourself?’ Nick questioned.  
‘Well, you’re funny drunk.’ Louis defended himself.  
‘I’m funny without a drink, thank you very much.’ Nick replied, finishing the glass of water and taking a sip of the coffee.  
‘Funnier, then, ok?’ Louis laughed.

*** 

‘So, you and Louis seem to be getting on well.’ Harry said nonchalantly as he sat down beside Nick in the pool later that afternoon.  
Nick shrugged, his eyes closed and sunglasses on to shield his eyes from the sun which was far too bright with his hangover. ‘Yeah, I guess.’ He replied.  
‘You two had fun last night, yeah?’ Harry asked.

Nick turned towards Harry, opening his eyes and peering at him. ‘What are you getting at?’ He asked suspiciously.

Harry grinned and shrugged. ‘You tell me Grim. You’re flirting with him, you know.’  
Nick rolled his eyes and faced forwards again, his heart racing in his chest with the fear that Harry had guessed he fancied Louis. ‘Harold, I flirt with everyone, you know that.’

‘Uh huh…ok…I’ve seen you checking him out too, you know.’

Nick turned to glare at Harry. ‘I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.’ He blustered, knowing he was blushing and hoping he could put it down to the sun making him hot.

‘I’m onto you. I’ll be watching.’ Harry grinned, pushing a hand into the water and splashing Nick with it.

In retaliation, Nick grabbed hold of Harry and pushed him under the water.

*** 

Nick came up for air as he finished the 50 laps of the pool he’d decided to do that morning. Letting out a long breath, he pushed his hair away from his head, grinning as he saw Louis’ legs dangling in the water a few meters away from him where he was lying on a pool lounger in the water.

Nick peered up to see that Louis’ eyes were closed and Nick silently moved towards him. 

In one swift movement, he grabbed hold of Louis’ ankles and pulled him into the water.

‘Woah…!’ Louis screeched as he hit the water and he splashed around aimlessly before coming up for air. ‘You’re gonna pay for that, you moron!’ He shouted at Nick as Nick swam away laughing loudly.

‘I’m sorry, the temptation was just too much!’ Nick cackled as Louis dove towards him.  
‘If you want to get your hands on me, you know you only have to say so!’ Louis cried as Nick pushed his arm into the water and then pushed it towards Louis’ face, making Louis flinch as he threw his body at Nick, causing Nick to lose his footing and disappear under the water.

Flailing around, he grabbed onto Louis and as he came up for air, realised that he was clutching the top of Louis’ right thigh.

‘Oops, sorry!’ Nick laughed, a little embarrassed as he let go and put some space between them.

‘As I say, just ask Grimshaw!’ Louis laughed again, splashing Nick again before Nick put his hands on Louis’ shoulders and pushed him under the water again.

*** 

Nick plugged his phone into the car’s stereo system on Saturday morning as Louis let himself into the passenger seat, pressing a few buttons to get the roof on the car down.

‘Can’t believe Harry is making us go shopping.’ Louis moaned.  
‘I can’t believe that Harry is making me chaperone you!’ Nick laughed as he started the engine and the music from Nick’s phone started playing. ‘I mean, somebody has to make sure you buy more than cereal!’

Louis huffed. ‘He could’ve done it and you and I could’ve sunbathed more. Good choice of song.’ He noted as Will Smith’s Miami blared out loudly as Nick started driving.

Nick turned it up louder, his shoulders moving to the music as he slipped on his sunglasses.

Louis did the same, resting his elbow on the door of the car where the window was rolled down.

‘Miami and Wannabe?’ Louis said as Miami faded into Wannabe.  
‘It’s for Radio 1 later in the year, a summer mix.’ Nick grinned as he started singing along to the song.

The drive to the supermarket was spent with Nick and Louis singing along to various songs that Nick had mixed together.

‘What else is on there?’ Louis asked as they pulled into the car park.  
‘That’s a surprise young Mr Tomlinson.’ Nick winked.

*** 

Half an hour later, and after two almost rows in the supermarket about how Louis couldn’t just buy cereal and milk and Louis scowling when Nick started picking things like chia seeds up.

‘Come on then, impress me with more of your mixing.’ Louis grinned as Nick started the car to drive home.

‘So you like my choice of tracks then?’ Nick teased and Louis poked his tongue out at Nick. ‘Still a hipster, liking stupid indie music.’  
‘You like my DJ’ing!’ Nick grinned. ‘Just as well as you’re coming with me to the party tonight.’  
‘Only because Haz asked me – maybe I should take some ear plugs.’ Louis mused, winking at Nick as Nick turned onto the main road.

When they were almost home, the Macarena came on.

‘Oh my god, haven’t heard this in ages!’ Louis cried, immediately starting to do the dance moves in the car.  
‘I remember the videos of you lot doing this on tour!’ Nick grinned, cruising along a residential street as he headed towards the road that took them up the hill back to Harry’s.

Louis smirked. ‘Checking me out, were you Grimshaw?’ 

Nick glanced at Louis, feeling his cheeks redden because, yes, he’d done exactly that when his crush on Louis had started. He opened his mouth to say something when a cat shot out in front of the car and Nick slammed on the breaks to avoid the cat.

‘Bloody menaces.’ He mumbled to himself as the Macarena turned into Walking on Sunshine and Louis was looking out of his side of the car, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

*** 

It was gone midnight when Louis approached Nick at the party that he was DJ’ing at. He’d had a couple of hours on the decks, but was having a 30 minute break before he went and finished the party for the night. 

‘This song makes me think of you.’ Louis slurred as he dropped into the seat beside Nick.

Nick peered at him. ‘What song?’ He asked.  
‘This song. The one that’s playing? Are you fucking deaf Grimshaw?’ Louis grinned.

Nick listened for a few moments, Selena Gomez’ ‘Hands To Myself’ playing.  
‘Does it now? Aren’t I the lucky one!’ Nick laughed. ‘You’re drunk.’  
‘Still applies.’ Louis grinned back. ‘Dance with me?’ He asked, standing up and holding out a hand to Nick.

Nick looked at Louis cautiously. ‘How much have you had to drink?’ He asked.  
‘Enough to know I want to dance with you so it must be a fuckton of beer!’ Louis laughed loudly, grabbing Nick’s hand and pulling him up.

‘I think I might sit this one out…’ Nick tried to protest but Louis was having none of it and pulled Nick’s body hard against his, wrapping his arms around Nick’s neck.

Nick gingerly put his hands on Louis’ waist, needing to keep his distance a little because a drunk and handsy Louis wasn’t something that he could deal with right now.

Louis swayed his hips into Nick’s, singing the lyrics of the song loudly, and quite off key Nick noted, keeping Nick as close as he could. But just as Louis got into his groove, the song ended.

‘Thanks for the dance love.’ Nick grinned, starting to move away but then the Macarena started.

They looked at each other, bursting out with laughter. ‘Come on! We have to dance to this!’ Louis cried, letting go of Nick and starting to do the movements to it.

*** 

Harry watched his two friends from afar, sipping on his drink and smiling to himself. He was bought out of his reverie when his mobile started ringing.

Niall…

Harry’s heart pounded wildly in his chest. Sliding his finger over the phone, he answered it, walking away from the loud music.

‘Hey you…’

*** 

‘Morning.’ Nick sang brightly as he jogged down the stairs to his room and saw Louis lying on a sun lounger.

‘Shhh…’ Louis winced, shielding his eyes and sitting up slightly.  
Nick let out a loud laugh. ‘Oh dear, suffering this morning?’ He said, sitting down on the end of Louis’ sun lounger and wrapping his hand around Louis’ ankle.

Louis peered at him, moving his hand away from his eyes. ‘I seem to recall that I’ve been the perfect host whilst you’ve been here, getting you coffee, water and painkillers when you’ve been suffering so don’t you fucking mock me Grimshaw.’ He growled.

Nick rubbed his thumb over the bone of Louis’ ankle. ‘Oh poor you. Can I get you anything?’  
‘A new head?’ Louis groaned, closing his eyes and resting his head back on the sun lounger.  
‘Not sure Haz keeps those in stock. Want a juice?’

Louis opened one eye. ‘As long as it doesn’t have any fucking weird shit in it like chia bloody seeds.’

‘Yes sir.’ Nick teased, squeezing his ankle slightly. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ He told Louis, letting go of Louis’ ankle and standing up, walking away.

*** 

Nick stood in the kitchen, staring out of the window at Louis who was flaked out on the sun lounger again. There was a strange feeling in Nick’s stomach that he wished would go away. He was beginning to wonder whether his feelings for Louis were possibly beginning to be returned. After they’d managed a whole day yesterday without any snapping, and the dancing later in the evening when Louis had told Nick that ‘Hands To Myself’ reminded him of Nick, Nick’s mind had been on overdrive. 

‘Penny for them?’ Harry asked, making Nick jump as he walked into the kitchen.  
‘Morning. Sleep well?’ Nick asked, shaking himself out of his thoughts.  
‘Yeah, you?’ Harry asked as he glanced out of the window Nick had been looking out of and smiling to himself.  
‘Yeah, still a bit jet lagged though. Where did you disappear to last night? You were gone for ages.’ Nick commented.

‘Surprised you noticed.’ Harry winked, loving the blush that crept over Nick’s cheeks.  
‘Shut up. Where did you go?’ Nick persisted, busying himself making some juice.  
‘Niall called me.’ Harry admitted sheepishly.

‘Ooh! What did he have to say?’ Nick asked, grabbing some chia seeds out of the cupboard by his head and chucking a handful into the blender.  
‘So, we had a long chat about nothing really and he didn’t even mention what happened between us.’ Harry sighed. ‘Which I’ve been over analysing all night.’  
‘Did you bring it up?’  
Harry shook his head. ‘No. I mean what do I say? Hey, Niall, by the way, I kind of loved it when you had your dick up my arse and maybe we could do it again sometime?’

Nick laughed. ‘Little crude, even for me, you could probably word it slightly better!’

Harry rolled his eyes. ‘Fine. But you know what I mean.’  
‘You’re just going to be miserable until you do something about it, you know that, right?’ Nick asked, putting the lid on the blender.  
‘You know that unless you tell a certain someone about your crush that he’s not going to do anything about it, and your right hand is going get arthritis in it, yeah?’ Harry grinned as Nick turned on the blender, indicating that he couldn’t hear what Harry was saying.

‘You’re an areshole.’ Harry laughed as Nick turned off the blender.  
‘But you love me anyway!’ Nick grinned, pouring the juice into three glasses and heading outside with two of them.

*** 

Briana dropped Freddie over later that afternoon, when Louis was finally beginning to feel better and Louis spent an hour in the pool with Freddie playing and splashing before Freddie went down for a nap.

‘Come on, little one, you’ve got to sleep.’ 

Nick heard Louis talking to Freddie as he walked past the room that had been turned into a makeshift nursery. 

‘If you don’t, you’re going to be very grumpy later on.’ Louis cooed at his son, rocking him in his arms. Popping Freddie onto his shoulder, Louis started pacing around the room, singing.

‘There was a time when I was alone  
Nowhere to go and no place to call home  
My only friend was the man in the moon  
And even sometimes he would go away, too

Then one night, as I closed my eyes,  
I saw a shadow flying high  
He came to me with the sweetest smile  
Told me he wanted to talk for awhile  
He said, "Peter Pan. That's what they call me.  
I promise that you'll never be lonely."  
And ever since that day...

I am a lost boy from Neverland  
Usually hanging out with Peter Pan  
And when we're bored we play in the woods  
Always on the run from Captain Hook  
"Run, run, lost boy," they say to me,  
"Away from all of reality."’

Nick leant against the doorframe of the door, watching captivated as Louis quietly sang to Freddie, rocking him slowly to sleep.

Louis smiled softly as he noticed Nick stood in the doorway before turning away, continuing to sing.

Nick sighed to himself as he walked away. He could feel how fond the smile was on his face at how soft Louis had looked singing Freddie to sleep. 

He sat down on the sofa next to Harry and put his head in his hands. ‘I’m so fucked.’ He muttered.

‘You wish!’ Harry laughed. ‘Just tell him.’ He advised.  
‘I can’t. We live different fucking lives Haz.’

Harry shrugged. ‘Then you need to decide whether it’s a risk you want to take.’

*** 

It was gone midday when Nick finally ventured out of his room the following morning. He’d lay in bed for a good hour, messing around on his phone and messaging his friends back in England, making them as jealous as possible of the fact he was in sunny Los Angeles and they were in rainy old London.

‘Afternoon.’ Louis commented as Nick jogged down the few steps to the pool in just a pair of swimming shorts.  
‘Afternoon yourself.’ Nick grinned, dropping his phone and a towel onto the sun lounger next to Louis.  
‘Good lie in?’ Louis asked.  
‘Was actually. Can’t beat a good lie in. What time did young Freddie have you up?’ He said, poking his tongue out slightly at Louis.  
Louis pulled his sunglasses down slightly to glare at Nick. ‘4.30am. He can’t take after me, I’m not a morning person at all.’

Nick laughed as he sat down. ‘Yeah, so I’ve heard!’ He agreed. ‘Is he back asleep now?’  
‘Back at Briana’s. I’ll see him again on Wednesday.’ Louis replied as Harry appeared in the doorway.

‘Breakfast?’ He asked Nick who shook his head.  
‘No thanks, I’ll just grab a juice in a bit.’ Nick told him as Harry shrugged and made his way down to join him and Louis.

*** 

‘Anyone want anything?’ Louis asked half an hour later. The three men had been sunbathing in relative silence. 

Nick yawned. ‘I’ll come and make my juice.’ He said, stretching his arms above his head.  
‘I’ll do it if you like, no bother.’ Louis said nonchalantly.

Nick smiled and shook his head. ‘It’s alright, I have a complicated one…’  
‘A cup of strawberries, half coconut water, a tablespoon of almond butter, 5 drops of that liquid stuff Haz has…’  
‘Stevia.’ Harry chimed in.  
‘That’s it…a scoop of protein powder and … what’s the other thing… chia seeds or summat?’ Louis asked.

Nick couldn’t help the smile plastered over his face. ‘That’s exactly it. That’d be great, thank you.’ He smiled warmly at Louis.

‘Can I have one too?’ Harry asked and was met with a glare from Louis.

‘Can’t you get your own? Oh … fine, yes, I’ll make you one as well. God, I’m like your bloody slave…’ Louis muttered to himself as he wandered into the house.

Harry let out a loud laugh as Nick grinned widely at him.

*** 

Louis leaned back in his chair as he finished his dinner the next evening. ‘That was delicious Haz, thank you.’ He sighed. ‘You’ll make Niall a fine husband one day.’  
‘Shut up.’ Harry snapped darkly.  
‘Ooh, tetchy, haven’t spoken to him again then?’ Louis prodded at Harry’s shoulder irritatingly.

Harry glared at Nick. ‘You told him that Niall called?’  
‘I thought you’d have told him.’ Nick cried, holding his hands up in defence.  
‘Haz, you’ve got to call him and tell him you want his dick back in your arse.’ Louis grinned.  
‘You gonna tell anyone that you want their dick in your arse?’ Harry snapped again, standing up and pushing his chair back.

Louis’ face immediately flamed red. ‘I’ll clear up.’ He snapped back, grabbing the plates out of Harry’s hands and storming inside.

Nick grimaced at Harry. ‘What was that about?’ He asked as Harry slumped down in his chair.  
‘Nothing. Sorry, when we spend a bit too much time together, we get on each other’s nerves.’ 

Nick nodded sagely. ‘So I can see. He, er, wants…’ Nick began, blushing slightly.  
‘Yeah.’ Harry said, raising an eyebrow at Nick.  
‘You don’t know that for sure though, do you?’ Nick replied, taking a large mouthful of wine, draining his glass and he immediately topped it up again.  
‘And neither will you if you don’t do something about it.’ Harry said pointedly.

Nick put his glass down and rested his hand on Harry’s arm as Louis came back outside, two beers in his hands. Wordlessly he handed one to Harry and sat back down.

‘What’s really wrong mate?’ Nick asked.  
‘What if we can’t stay friends?’ Harry asked anxiously.  
‘You’ve known him six years Harry, I don’t doubt that the two of you could stay friends. I mean, look at us, we’ve managed it.’ Nick said.

Louis choked slightly on his beer, his face frowning in confusion as Nick glanced up at him.  
‘That’s different.’ Harry replied wearily.  
‘How?’ Louis asked carefully.  
‘Me and Nick was always going to be a one off, a drunken hand job. It meant nothing.’ Harry said.

Nick laughed. ‘Gee, thanks mate!’

Harry waved his hands around. ‘I didn’t…argh!’ He cried. ‘I want more than that with Niall.’

‘You and Nick?’ Louis questioned darkly.  
‘Yeah, years ago. He’s great at staying friends with one night stands.’ Harry said.

Nick grimaced. ‘Excuse me, I think I’m slightly offended by that.’  
‘Why? You are.’ Harry replied.  
‘You’re kind of suggesting that I have a lot of them.’ Nick said tightly.

‘Don’t you?’ Louis shot at Nick.

‘No, I bloody don’t! Just because I don’t make it awkward between people I have slept with doesn’t mean I’m some kind of fucking whore!’ Nick retaliated angrily.

‘I never said that!’ Harry barked.  
‘You kind of insinuated that.’ Nick replied, watching Louis out of the corner of his eye. Louis’ mouth had straightened into a fierce line, his eyes dark with what looked like anger.

‘When did it happen?’ Louis asked.  
‘When did what happen?’ Nick asked.  
‘You and Nick. How come I never knew?’ Louis asked Harry.

‘A couple of years ago. I never told you because there was a time when you couldn’t stand him and I knew you’d be stupid about it. Kind of like how you’re being now but for different reasons.’ Harry shot back at Louis.

Louis glared at Harry, before slamming his beer down on the table and storming inside the house.

Nick frowned at Harry. ‘What was all that about?’

Harry shook his head and downed his beer in one go. ‘Nothing. Look, I’m sorry. I just…I can’t believe I’ve got myself into this mess with Niall of all people.’

Nick smiled softly. ‘It’s Niall. It’s not some unknown person. He’s one of the best people I know. Even if he doesn’t feel the same, he’s still gonna be cool with you. But I think you need to tell him how you feel.’

Harry sighed. ‘You gonna do anything about Louis?’

Nick shook his head and picked up his wine glass. ‘Nah. He runs too hot and cold for me. Too much drama.’

Harry let out a loud laugh. ‘Nick, you thrive on drama!’  
‘Tell him how you feel. Niall turning you down can’t make you feel any worse than you do now.’ Nick told him as they heard the front door slam and a car speed down the driveway.

*** 

Nick woke the next morning, a weird feeling in his stomach. He and Harry had headed to bed a little while after Louis had stormed out, but Nick hadn’t slept very well. He kept thinking about the assumption Louis appeared to have of him.

Eventually, he dragged himself out of bed and into the main house, calling Harry but finding a note in the kitchen from Harry explaining that he’d had to go into the studio and would be back later on.

Just as Nick had started to doze off in front of the TV a couple of hours later, there was a buzzing sound from near the front door.

Stumbling up, Nick picked up the handset. ‘Hello?’ He croaked sleepily.  
‘Hey, it’s me.’ A male voice said.  
‘Whose me?’ Nick asked.  
‘Liam, idiot! You gonna let me in or sitting at the gate like a tool?’

Nick laughed. ‘Ok!’

He pulled open the front door as Liam’s car pulled up nearby.

‘Hey mate, how are you?’ Liam asked warmly as he locked the car and strode over to Nick.  
‘I’m good, long time no see!’  
‘Hey, was that you on the handset? Sorry! Thought you were Haz!’ Liam laughed, hugging Nick tightly.  
‘No, he’s out, went out before I even woke up! Coming in for a beer?’

Liam shrugged. ‘Why not!’

*** 

‘Louis not around either?’ Liam asked as they sat in the kitchen.  
‘No, he stormed out last night! He’s very dramatic sometimes!’ Nick laughed.

Liam frowned. ‘Why did he storm out?’

Nick shook his head. ‘Neither me or Haz could work out why. We were talking about…’ Nick trailed off, unsure if Liam knew about what had been going on between Niall and Harry.

‘Yeah?’ Liam encouraged.  
‘Have you spoken to Niall recently?’

Liam smirked. ‘Louis’ not funny about Niall and Harry, is he?!’ 

Nick let out a breath. ‘Phew, wasn’t sure if you’d know!’  
‘Of course! Those boys can’t keep a secret to save their lives!’ Liam laughed.  
‘Well, we were talking about it and Harry thinks that they can’t stay mates if they’ve hooked up, but I said about Harry and I staying mates after we hooked up and Louis kind of just went a bit weird.’ Nick explained.

Liam peered at Nick. ‘You and Harry?’

Nick blushed. ‘Thought you knew everything about these boys?’ He laughed nervously.  
‘Not this! When did this happen? He’s a dark horse that Styles!’  
‘Couple of years ago. One off and was just a drunken thing, that’s all. But fuck knows why Louis got weird about it.’

Liam twisted his lips. ‘I have an idea, but…’ He trailed off.  
‘Gonna share it?’ Nick asked.  
‘Nah. Probably wrong.’ Liam grinned. ‘Fancy a swim?’ He asked, changing the subject.

*** 

‘Morning love birds!’ Louis greeted the two of them brightly the next morning.

Harry grinned as Louis walked into the kitchen. ‘Couple of years too late.’ He teased, pulling Louis into a warm hug.  
‘Sorry.’ Louis murmured into Harry’s ear, glancing over at Nick, who smiled warily before picking up his coffee mug and disappearing back to his room. 

*** 

Nick yawned as there came a knock on his door. ‘It’s open.’ He called, moving into a sitting position.  
‘Is it safe to come in? Anyone else in there?’ Louis said lightly as he pushed the door open, pretending to cover his eyes.  
‘Ha fucking ha Tomlinson.’ Nick replied tightly. He was still annoyed at Louis’ insinuation the other night.

Louis moved his hands from his eyes and smiled guiltily at Nick. ‘I came to say sorry.’ He said awkwardly.  
‘What for?’ Nick questioned.  
‘What I implied the other night.’ Louis said quietly, kicking one foot with the other and glancing at the floor.  
‘That I’m a bit of a whore that sleeps around?’

Louis glared at Nick. ‘Yes. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. But, like, how do you do it?’  
‘Do what?’ Nick asked warily.  
‘Stay mates with people you’ve slept with.’ 

Nick shrugged. ‘Sex is just sex with some people. There doesn’t have to be that connection where you’re imagining babies with them!’ Nick laughed lightly. ‘That’s all it was with Haz. Just mates helping each other out.’

Louis nodded, his face twisted a little. ‘Does it happen a lot?’  
Nick raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you implying something again?’ He teased a little.

Louis raised both hands. ‘No, god, no. I just…I can’t do that. Hell, me and Briana can barely be civil to each other and we’ve got a baby together.’  
‘See, advantage of being gay. No surprise babies!’

Louis laughed loudly. ‘That’s most definitely an advantage. Any others?’ He grinned.  
‘Sex is amazing.’ Nick said honestly.

Blushing, Louis looked down. ‘I kind of admire you for being able to stay mates with people and like, I guess, help people out.’

Nick shrugged again. ‘Everyone enjoys sex. Why let emotions and feelings complicate it every time you have it?’

Louis nodded. ‘Think I misjudged you a bit in the past.’  
Nick smiled. ‘Think we’re both a bit guilty of that.’ He agreed.

‘Maybe I should try some of this sex with no strings.’ Louis mused, glancing up at Nick.

Nick nodded. ‘You should. Feels pretty good.’ He agreed.

***

‘So, what did you get up to today?’ Harry asked as they sat having dinner later that evening.  
‘Not much. Lazed around. Oh! Liam popped in.’ Nick said, shovelling a mouthful of food into his mouth.  
‘Shit, I was meant to see him today.’ Louis realised. ‘We said that we’d do some writing.’ 

Nick shrugged. ‘He seemed fine about it. We had a swim and he stayed for some lunch.’

‘Bet that was easy on the eye!’ Louis teased Nick, elbowing him in the side.  
‘What’s that meant to mean?!’ Nick blustered, dropping his fork.  
‘He’s so your type!’ Harry agreed.

Nick glared teasingly at Harry. ‘Don’t know what you mean!’ He laughed.  
‘Come off it! I’ve heard you admit it on the radio!’ Louis sniggered.

‘Listen to me much then do you?’ Nick shot at Louis, a smirk on his face.  
‘When Harry makes me.’ Louis retorted with a laugh. ‘So, he’s not your type then?!’  
‘He might be!’ Nick admitted, blushing. ‘I mean, watching him in the pool was obviously a hardship!’

Louis rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah, I can well imagine!’ He agreed, taking another mouthful of food.

As Nick finished off his plate, he glanced over at Louis, smiling warmly when he found Louis watching him.

Louis smiled back, pushing his seat back and heading into the kitchen with his plate.

*** 

The following evening, Nick straightened his shirt for about the 15th time as he heard Louis’ voice singing something Nick didn’t recognise down the corridor and it got closer as Louis walked into the kitchen.

It was Nick’s last night in LA and Harry had arranged for them to meet some friends of his for drinks at a local club. 

‘Alright?’ Louis asked with a smile, stopping a few feet in front of Nick and leaning against the centre island, one hip cocked as he quite obviously looked Nick up and down.

Nick swallowed hard and nodded nervously. ‘Raring to go!’ He grinned, sliding his fingers through his hair. ‘Freddie with Briana tonight?’ He asked.

Louis nodded, biting down on his bottom lip gently. ‘Yep, and tomorrow so I get a lie in…well, kind of.’ He said vaguely. ‘You don’t scrub up too badly.’ He commented, raising one eyebrow at Nick.

Nick let out a laugh and took a step towards Louis, knowing he looked much more confident than he felt.

‘You neither popstar.’ He smiled warmly as he stopped just in front of Louis, his feet either side of Louis’.

Nick watched Louis as he swallowed and shifted slightly against the island. ‘Nice sheer top.’ He commented, watching as Louis’ breath became slightly laboured.

‘Well…’ Louis coughed. ‘Dress to impress, yeah?’  
‘Consider me impressed.’ Nick muttered and leant forward, capturing Louis’ mouth against his own, putting his hands on the island, either side of Louis.

Louis’ hands immediately settled on Nick’s waist, gripping tightly as he parted his lips and Nick moved his tongue against Louis’.

Nick’s heart dropped straight into his stomach as he stepped closer to Louis, aware that his hands were shaking slightly as he moved them from the island and onto Louis’ hips. He’d imagined kissing Louis numerous times but not once had he imagined it would be as good as it was. Louis’ kiss was soft and tentative but strong and determined and Louis let out a small noise as their tongues pushed against the other’s.

A few moments later, they jumped apart as they heard Harry shouting at the pair of them.

‘Oi, you two, where are you? Car’s here!’

Louis looked up at Harry, a slight look of panic in his eyes.  
‘Later.’ Nick smiled, kissing his lips lightly before striding out of the kitchen, trying to subtly adjust his tight jeans.

*** 

Nick laughed as Harry managed to spill his cocktail down him. They’d been drinking for a couple of hours and Nick had had an awful lot to drink, mainly to try and stop himself from jumping Louis in front of everyone.

The car ride over to the club had been tense, Harry in the front of the car with the driver and Nick and Louis in the back, glancing over at each other every minute or so and then Louis’ hand had inched towards Nick’s thigh, his fingers tracing the outside seam of his jeans. Nick had only just managed to keep himself from gasping as Harry chatted on inanely in the front of the car, asking all sorts of questions about Nick’s new house.

Once they’d got into the club, Louis had disappeared straight to the bar and Harry had dragged Nick off to meet some friends and Nick had only seen Louis floating around every so often, but Louis was now dancing on the dance floor, extraordinarily close to an extremely hot guy.

As Harry grabbed some tissues to mop himself up, Nick excused himself from the booth and headed towards the bathroom, making sure to catch Louis’ eye as he did so.

Nick came out of the bathroom a few minutes later to find Louis leaning on the wall opposite, a smirk on his face.

‘Fancy seeing you here.’ He grinned, pushing himself off the wall and straight into Nick.  
‘Fancy!’ Nick laughed, pushing him back against the adjoining wall and leaning into kiss Louis.

As Nick heard someone approach them, he pulled away from Louis. ‘Shall we get out of here?’ He murmured into Louis’ ear, biting the lobe very gently.

Louis shuddered, putting his hands on Nick’s chest and pushing him back slightly. ‘I thought you’d never ask.’ 

*** 

As soon as the car pulled away from the curb outside the club, Louis shot forward, pushing the button to put the screen up between them and the driver and swung his legs around, so he was straddling Nick’s legs, lurching forward slightly as the car sped up a little and he bumped his forehead against Nick’s.

Louis gasped a little as Nick put his hands on his waist. ‘I love how big your hands are on me, I’ve been thinking about them for fucking days.’ He murmured, pushing his groin down against Nick’s, making the older man gasp.  
‘Know what else I’ve got that’s big?’ Nick grinned, pushing up as Louis ground down on him again.  
‘Your ego?’ Louis laughed, poking his tongue out at Nick before putting his hands on Nick’s shoulders and leaning forward to kiss him.

Nick moved his hands to Louis’ back, pulling him as close as he could do, as they ground against each other, soft moans filling the back of the car.

‘Wanted you for ages.’ Louis admitted as he came up for air, Nick’s hands now underneath his shirt.  
‘Me too.’ Nick replied, reaching one hand around to Louis’ right nipple and teasing it between his thumb and his forefinger.  
‘Fuck…’ Louis gasped, his head tipping back as Nick brought his other hand around, before he felt Louis’ cock jolt heavily beneath his jeans.  
‘You’re so hot.’ Nick mumbled, leaning forward to kiss Louis again and as Louis slid his tongue back into Nick’s mouth, the car came to a stop.

A discreet cough came from the front of the car and with a huge amount of willpower, Louis hauled himself from Nick’s lap.

‘Thanks Nico.’ He called, opening the door and jumping out, reaching inside to grab at Nick’s hand to pull him out of the car.

‘Sure it took longer to get to the club.’ Nick commented, straightening himself out slightly as the car disappeared out of Harry’s driveway.  
‘Nico stepped on it!’ Louis laughed, fumbling around in his pockets to find the door key. ‘Fuck, where is it?’ He panicked a little when he couldn’t find it.  
‘You have a key, right?’ Nick asked, eyes wide with fear.  
‘I thought…fuck…’ Louis snapped frantically.

Nick stepped forward, guiding Louis backwards until his back hit the wall of the porch. ‘Let me see if I can find it.’ He breathed before running the palm of his right hand over Louis’ groin, feeling his cock hard in his jeans.  
‘Fuck…’ Louis breathed, his eyes closing. ‘Fairly sure it’s not there Nick…’ He gasped as Nick started to undo his jeans.  
‘Just making sure.’ Nick smirked at him, leaning forward to kiss him again as he slid his hand inside of Louis’ boxers, making the younger man buck forcefully into his hand.

They kissed sloppily for a minute or so, Nick wrapping his fingers around Louis’ length, Nick captivated at the feeling of Louis in his hand.

‘Fuck, we need the key, we fucking need the fucking key.’ Louis panted heavily, pushing Nick away from him and searching his pockets again as Nick moved his lips to Louis’ neck, sucking gently as Louis continued to swear.

‘Found it!’ Louis crowed, launching himself back at Nick, jeans undone and cock standing out proudly from them.

Louis fumbled with the door lock as Nick’s hand went down to his cock again and Louis bucked forward into Nick’s hand as he finally got the door unlocked.

Slamming the door shut, Nick pushed Louis against it before he dropped to his knees, steadying his hands on Louis’ hips, he shoved his jeans and boxers down to his knees before taking Louis fully into his mouth.

‘Argh…fuck me…’ Louis gasped, banging his head hard on the door as he threw it back, his hands in Nick’s hair, fingers wound tightly around the blond strands as he thrust his hips back and forth into Nick’s mouth. Nick ran his tongue along the underside of Louis’ cock, his mouth full of saliva as he sucked greedily, his own cock feeling hard but neglected in his own jeans. He reached a hand down, grinding once against his palm before returning his hand to Louis’ hip. He moved his right hand around to Louis’ arse, firmly gripping the flesh beneath his fingers, wanting to leave bruises all over Louis’ skin.

‘Bedroom, now…please Nick, bedroom…’ Louis pleaded, roughly pushing Nick away from him, yanking his jeans and boxers up and grabbing Nick’s hands to pull him up. They stood close together for a moment. ‘Please, please Nick.’ Louis repeated.

Nick didn’t need telling again. He pulled at one of Louis’ hands, dragging him through the house, knocking over a chair and a small table on the way in his desperation to get Louis into his bed.

They made their way across the courtyard, up the few steps to Nick’s room and Nick slammed the door behind them, pushing Louis down onto the unmade bed.

Nick kicked off his shoes, standing up to pull down his jeans and boxers as Louis did the same. Once they were both naked from the waist down, Louis pulled Nick down on top of him, gasping loudly as their cocks touched for the first time.

‘Oh god…’ Louis gasped as Nick ground heavily against him. Nick roughly pulled Louis into a sitting position before he tore his sheer top over his head, throwing it somewhere behind them before pushing him down again, and then biting down on one of Louis’ nipples.

‘Please, please…’ Louis gulped, writhing around underneath Nick, moaning loudly as Nick then blew over the nipple before licking it hungrily with his tongue.

Louis shoved his hands underneath of Nick’s arms, pulling him up the bed and spun them over so he was sat on top of Nick. Leaning down again, he kissed Nick whilst they thrashed together on the bed, both men panting loudly.

A few minutes later, Nick turned them over again, holding Louis’ wrists in one hand above his head.

‘You’ve done this before, yeah?’ He asked.  
‘Kind of, yeah.’ Louis replied, arching his back, pushing his cock against Nick’s.  
‘What does kind of mean?’ Nick asked, fumbling around in the wash bag by his bed, feeling around for lube and a condom.  
‘Like, I’ve fucked men..’ Louis told him.  
‘Have you ever been fucked?’ Nick asked him, stopping what he was doing.  
‘No, but please, please Nick, I want it to be you…’ Louis gasped.

Nick looked down at him for a few moments, thinking. ‘No.’ He eventually said. ‘Not tonight anyway.’ He clarified as Louis looked up at him horrified.  
‘Please, please, oh god, I want to feel you inside of me, I want to feel you…’ Louis started pleading.

Nick sat up. ‘I swear that there is nothing that I want more than to fuck you until you’re nothing but a babbling mess, but not like this, not when we’re drunk and horny and …’ He began.  
‘Let me do you, then, please.’ Louis begged.

Nick licked his lips, taking a big gulp of air. ‘Yeah, ok.’ He nodded.

Louis grinned widely at him before turning Nick onto his back again. He spotted the lube in Nick’s hand and grabbed at it, moving down the bed as Nick bent his knees.

Louis took in a large gulp of air. ‘Fuck…’ He mumbled, uncapping the bottle of lube and liberally coating his fingers with it. He kissed the inside of Nick’s thigh, feeling the other man trembling slightly and he circled Nick’s hole with his index finger before confidently pushing it into Nick’s body.

Nick’s hips jolted off the bed, as he gasped in surprise. Louis pushed his finger in as far as it would go, moving it around to get Nick used to the sensations.

‘More, please…’ Nick gasped, his eyes squeezed closed, head tipped back on the pillow and he arched his back as Louis removed one finger, applied some more lube and pushed two into Nick’s body.

‘You’ve done a lot of this, haven’t you?’ Nick said with a small laugh as he finally opened his eyes to watch Louis.

Louis grinned and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Perhaps.’  
‘I don’t let…this…doesn’t happen…fuck…’ Nick punched out a breath as Louis’ fingers pressed down on his prostate, Nick’s body tense with pleasure. ‘More, please more.’ He panted.

A few minutes later, and Nick was writhing around on the bed, his body unable to stay still for even a moment as Louis thrust his fingers in and out of Nick’s body. ‘Ok, now, Lou…now…’ Nick breathed heavily. He watched as Louis swallowed hard, removing his fingers from Nick and wiping them on the sheet. 

Nick could see that Louis’ hands were shaking as he tried to tear the foil of the condom so he took it from him. He unrolled the condom as Louis shuffled in closer between his legs. Sitting up, Nick took Louis’ cock in his hand and watched as Louis’ jaw fell open, and he rolled the condom over Louis. ‘I wish you knew how many times I’ve got myself off thinking of you.’ He whispered, seeing that Louis needed a little push of confidence. 

Louis smiled at him, the smile turning into a smirk as he put his hands on Nick’s shoulders and pushed him down to the bed. ‘Then I’d better make sure I live up to expectations.’ He told Nick, lining himself up at Nick’s entrance.

As Nick opened his mouth to reply, Louis pushed into his body, leaving the words to die on Nick’s lips as he got used to the feel of Louis’ body inside of his. He tensed up, seeing the effect it had on Louis and he swallowed hard, his body relaxing as Louis started to pull out of his body and then push back in.

‘Oh…so tight…fuck Nick…so bloody tight…’ Louis panted, the sensation of Nick around his own cock being more than he’d ever thought it would be. 

Nick knotted his legs around Louis’ back, making sure he was as close as possible, thrusting his hips back and forth as Louis pulled almost the entire way out and then slammed back into his body. He took hold of Louis’ hands and slid their fingers together, their knuckles white with tension.

Nick could see that it wasn’t going to take Louis long to climax and wanting to make this last as long as he could, he put his hands on Louis’ chest.

‘Let me ride you.’ He asked, his eyes searching Louis’ for an answer.

‘Fu…oh god…yes, yes please…’ Louis gasped, his cock pulsating inside of Nick at the mere thought of that. He pulled out, flopping down onto his back as Nick knelt over him. 

Positioning himself over Louis’ body, Nick sunk onto Louis’ cock, gasping for breath as he did so. He took hold of both of Louis’ wrists again, pushing them over his head and he writhed around on Louis’ body, lifting his arse before slamming it down onto Louis, watching as the younger man fell apart beneath him. 

A minute or so later, Louis started to push back at Nick’s hands. ‘Sit up, please Nick, sit back…’ He begged and so Nick let go of him.  
‘What do you want?’ Nick asked, rotating his hips in a figure of 8.  
‘Hard and fast, I’m so close, want to see your whole body, want to touch you all over…’ Louis babbled, his fingernails raking down Nick’s chest, catching his nipples as he did so, making Nick fuck down hard onto Louis.  
‘Oh god, like that…’ Louis implored, wrapping his right hand around Nick’s cock.

Nick leant back, his chest puffed out in front of him as he rested his hands on Louis’ thighs, feeling them tremble beneath him. ‘If you want me to go hard and fast, you have to as well.’ He breathed out heavily, the air being punched out of him as Louis raised his knees slightly, fucking hard into Nick’s body.

‘I’m so close…fuck…so close...’ Louis mumbled, his hand moving faster and faster over Nick’s cock before he felt his orgasm build into a crescendo and without much warning, he thrust hard one last time into Nick’s body, his entire body wrought with tension as he came, his cock pulsating into Nick. ‘Fuck…Nick!’ Louis cried before his body then fell lax onto the bed, panting as though he’d run a marathon, his hand falling away from Nick’s cock.

Feeling overwhelmed with how loudly Louis had cried his name, Nick moved forward, making sure to keep Louis inside of him. He wrapped his hand over his cock, his hand moving at lightening speed as he writhed around some more on top of Louis body, loving the gasps and pants coming from Louis’ body beneath him as he shuddered with the after shocks of his orgasm. Just as Nick felt his orgasm begin to build, Louis pulled him off of him and up the bed. ‘Over me.’ He pleaded, his hands on Nick’s hips as Nick’s cock was just an inch or so from Louis’ mouth. ‘Please, come over me.’ 

‘God you’re something else Louis Tomlinson…’ Nick gasped, his mouth dry from exertion and he fisted his cock harder than he’d been doing, letting out small moans and whimpers as he watched Louis watch him. ‘Oh god…oh fuck…I’m gonna come…’ Nick gasped and as he did so, Louis’ tongue flicked against the head of his cock and Nick exploded, swear words falling from his mouth as he lurched forwards into Louis’ mouth, letting his cock go and gripping the head board as Louis swallowed him down.

Nick’s body shook with the over stimulation as he came down from his orgasm, slumping down onto Louis’ body, his cock falling from Louis’ mouth.

With a great effort, he moved down the bed, pulling the condom off of Louis, tying it off and chucking it onto the floor. ‘You…fuck me Tomlinson…’ He breathed heavily, his head next to Louis’ on the pillow. ‘You’re fucking filthy.’ He laughed as he noticed there was his own come over Louis’ face, around his mouth, his cheeks and over his eyelashes on his right eye.

‘As in dirty or as in ‘filthy’?’ Louis grinned, raising his eyebrows.  
‘Fucking both.’ Nick groaned, pulling Louis closer and plunging his tongue into Louis’ mouth.

Both men kissed hungrily before it turned slower and sloppier, before Louis flopped down onto his back. ‘You were so tight…oh my god Nick.’  
‘I haven’t bottomed in…well, a very long time.’ Nick admitted as Louis looked at him in surprise.  
‘How long is a long time?’ Louis wanted to know.  
‘Probably best you don’t know. Fuck me, that was amazing.’  
‘You’ll…like…I really want you to fuck me…’ Louis told him honestly.  
‘I know…maybe…’ Nick twisted his mouth for a moment. ‘Like, maybe next time?’

Louis smiled which then turned into a yawn. ‘Deal. Next time.’ 

*** 

Nick woke with a start to hear a knocking sound. Opening his eyes, he glanced around the room, trying to work out where the noise was coming from.

‘Nick. Your car is going to be here in an hour.’ Harry called from the other side of the door.  
‘Ok mate…’ Nick called back, his mouth dry and sour. Sitting up, he fumbled around for his glasses and the first thing he saw on the floor was the used condom from the night before.

‘Lou?’ He said quietly, his heart beginning to thump a little harder in his chest. ‘Louis?’  
‘You ok?’ Harry called from outside.  
‘Yeah, I’ll be out soon, just gonna have a shower.’ Nick replied.

He got out of bed, his eyes searching the floor for Louis’ clothes, but there wasn’t a single trace of him, other than the discarded condom.

‘Fuck…no.’ Nick let out a strangled whine. ‘Oh god…’ 

*** 

‘You ok, you look a bit peaky?’ Harry asked 20 minutes later when Nick let himself into the kitchen.  
‘Is Louis here?’ Nick blurted out. ‘Damn…’ He muttered to himself, having promised himself he wouldn’t ask.  
‘No, haven’t seen him…why?’ Harry asked carefully.  
‘Nothing, no reason.’ Nick smiled, trying to mask how he was really feeling.

Harry’s face fell. ‘You two…you both disappeared last night around the same time…please tell me you did it.’ He said as Nick sat down and put his head in his hands.  
‘We most definitely did it.’ Nick sighed, wincing at the almost satisfying ache in his arse.  
‘Oh Nick…’ Harry said softly. He got up, running his hands over Nick’s shoulder blades before fetching a glass of water and some painkillers.  
‘Why would he leave?’ Nick asked, swallowing down the painkillers.

Harry shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I know I’ve been telling you to make a move, but I didn’t know you’d actually do it.’  
‘I let him fuck me.’ Nick told Harry, his cheeks flushing with colour.

Harry’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Fuck Nick, you never let anyone do that.’

Nick threw his hands up. ‘Do you think I don’t know that?! Oh my god, what did I do?’ He groaned.

Harry sat down next to Nick, resting his hand on Nick’s back. ‘Oh!’ He gasped loudly and Nick looked up at him. ‘That would explain why I came home to a broken chair and a table knocked to the floor!’ He said, looking pleased with himself.

Nick smiled weakly. ‘Oh yeah…sorry about that…’  
‘Do I need to get your room professionally cleaned? I mean, you opened some windows before you left it, yeah?’ Harry teased him gently.

Nick pulled a face. ‘I didn’t think to open a window. It’s not that bad…’  
‘I’ll call the professionals this morning!’ Harry teased him, getting up to make Nick a coffee as he rested his head on his arms in front of him.

*** 

After Nick had finally managed to get into the car, having hugged Harry goodbye at least 12 times, he sank into the back seat. The partition was up as the driver knew that he was going to the airport and therefore, no conversation was necessary, and Nick sighed heavily. 

Why had he been so stupid, he asked himself. He knew that Louis lived in LA, with Freddie now, and that whilst he and Louis had been flirting a bit, he knew that it could never lead to more than that and he couldn’t get over the fact that Louis had just woken up that morning, got dressed and snuck out like the night before hadn’t happened. 

Nick played with his phone the entire journey there. He had Louis’ number but he couldn’t be the one to contact him, not after Louis had been the one to leave. Eventually, he arrived at the airport, and put his phone away.

*** 

Two weeks later, Nick woke up on a Saturday morning. He’d somehow managed to get through the last two weeks at work. Whenever somebody had questioned that he was a bit tired or moody, he’d brushed it off as jet lag. 

Of all the times Nick had had a crush in the past, he was fairly sure he’d never felt so shit after a one-night stand with that crush. Normally, he’d known pretty quickly that it wasn’t going anywhere with the relevant person and he’d got on with his life, more often than not, becoming better mates with that person.

Louis was different though. Having spent two weeks with him at Harry’s house, Louis had got under Nick’s skin in a way nobody else had before.

Picking his phone up, he opened the Daily Mail app to see Louis’ photo on the top of the page.

‘1D Drama – Louis Tomlinson NOT a Father – Paternity Test reveals the Truth.’

Nick sat up instantly. ‘What the…’ He trailed off, opening the story.

His mouth got drier and drier as he read the article. Louis had apparently insisted on a paternity test a few weeks ago and had discovered the truth recently. Freddie wasn’t his and a source (Nick scoffed, he hated ‘sources’, they never had any grain of truth to them) said that Louis was devastated and heartbroken.

Switching to his phone, Nick dialled Harry’s number.

‘Hey mate.’ Harry answered after a few rings, a door being closed in the background.  
‘Is it true?’  
‘You’ve seen the Daily Mail then.’ Harry said wryly.  
‘Is he ok?’

Harry shook his head sadly. ‘Not even close. He’s on the verge of a complete and utter breakdown. He’s either so angry or he can’t stop crying and he’s drinking himself to death.’ Harry said quietly.

Nick’s shoulders slumped. ‘When did he find out?’ He asked, stroking Pig as she bounced up onto his bed.  
‘The day you left.’  
‘Bloody hell.’ Nick muttered. ‘Why didn’t you call me? I’m sorry, I know that’s a really selfish question to ask.’

Harry went quiet for a moment. ‘He asked me not to.’

Nick blew out a breath he wasn’t aware that he was holding. ‘Wow. That hurt more than I thought it was going to.’ He admitted.  
‘I’m sorry mate. I know you were pretty hurt when you left.’ Harry replied.

Nick laughed, almost sarcastically. ‘That’s a bit of an understatement. Pretty much just moped around for the last couple of weeks.’ He admitted.  
‘How long have you liked him for?’ Harry asked.

Nick blew out a breath. ‘A while.’  
‘Is that why you were a bit reluctant to stay here?’  
‘A little bit.’ Nick admitted.  
‘Still like him?’

Nick laughed. ‘Oh my god, you’ve no idea Haz. I hate myself right now. I’ve been thinking the worst of him for the last two weeks, thinking he was just leading me on and a right player and I let him fuck me for crying out loud Haz, and I find out that he’s not Freddie’s father and I feel like the worst guy in the whole world because he’s in LA hurting like hell that he’s been lied to and I’m miserable because I thought he just regretted sleeping with me.’ He groaned, leaning forward and holding his head in his hands.

‘You could…maybe you could call him?’ Harry suggested.  
‘I…’ Nick trailed off. ‘I don’t know Harry. He left that morning for a reason.’

There was an uncomfortable silence. ‘Harry?’

Harry blew out a breath. ‘Ok, I’m going to tell you this because I think you should know and I want you to stop wallowing, but he won’t be happy that I’ve told you.’

Nick sat up. ‘Ok…’ He said slowly.  
‘He left that morning because he had the paternity test meeting. He tried to get back before you left.’  
‘Really?’ Nick asked quietly.  
‘He got back about ten minutes after you left. He was in a right state because of finding out about Freddie and then when I told him you’d gone, he…well, look, it wasn’t pretty.’ Harry told him.

‘Should I call him?’ Nick asked.  
‘I think so, yes. But…don’t tell him what I’ve told you. You know how proud he is and…right now, he’s a mess, and he needs somebody to get him through this and I think that that person could be you.’

*** 

Nick fidgeted later that evening. He’d almost pressed Call on his phone over a dozen times throughout the day, but hadn’t yet found the courage to actually do it. He wasn’t sure what sort of state Louis would be in when, if, he answered the phone and he didn’t want to ruin anything.

He pushed himself off the sofa. For a Saturday night, he was uncharacteristically alone – he’d had a few offers to go out but had declined them all.

Wandering into the kitchen, Nick picked up a bottle of wine from the work surface. It was from the San Antonio Winery that Louis had mentioned in passing and when Nick had seen it in the local liquor store near Harry’s, he’d picked up a few bottles. 

Taking out the corkscrew, Nick opened the bottle. He picked up a large glass and poured the wine in. 

‘Cheese. I need some cheese Piggy Pig.’ Nick told Pig as she trotted into the kitchen to find him. She darted around his legs, tripping him up as he got to the fridge. 

Pulling out some strong cheddar and some brie, Nick put some onto his plate and found some crackers that Pixie had left when she’d been there a few nights before.

He plonked himself back down in front of the television, picking up the remote and flicking through several channels before he found an old episode of Take Me Out.

‘God, I’m such a loser.’ He commented to Pig who just opened an eye at him, yawned and went back to sleep.

After Nick had finished the wine and the cheese, he picked up his phone again. The wine had been delicious and he wondered if he could use that as his opener to Louis, just to talk about something normal, but as he messed around with his phone again, he knew that he just didn’t have the balls to call Louis. Instead, he went back into the kitchen to finish off the bottle of wine. 

*** 

Nick woke on Sunday morning to a call from Harry. 

‘Where are you?’ Harry asked as Nick answered the phone.  
‘In…’ Nick coughed. ‘In bed, why?’ He asked blearily. He winced as he turned over, his head banging. Remembering the wine from the night before, he yawned, wishing he’d not had the entire bottle.  
‘Louis’ in London.’

Nick sat up. ‘What?’ He asked, his head hurting with the speed that he’d sat up.  
‘He heard us talking yesterday.’  
‘Fuck. Where is he now?’  
‘He said he was at your place but you’re not answering.’

Nick shot out of his bed, thankful he’d left his boxers on last night. He almost tripped over his own feet getting down the stairs. He pulled open the front door.

‘He’s not here.’ Nick said stupidly into the phone. ‘Where is he?’  
‘Hang on…let me message him…’ Harry told him and Nick listened to him tapping away on his phone before he burst out laughing.

‘He’s in Primrose Hill!’ Harry laughed, coming back on the phone.

Nick cried out in frustration. ‘What?!’  
‘He forgot you moved. I’ve sent him your new address.’  
‘So, he should be here soon?’ Nick asked.  
‘Yeah. Are you dressed?’  
‘No. Fuck, I’ll call you later.’ Nick told him, hanging up and running back upstairs.

*** 

30 minutes later, Nick was pacing the hallway. He’d put some clothes on – well, ok, fine, he was on his fourth outfit, having discarded almost all of his wardrobe onto his bed in a bid to find something clean, ironed and suitable. The last 20 minutes he’d spent attempting to sort his hair out before giving up completely. 

Going into the kitchen, Nick turned on his fancy new coffee machine. As he waited for it to finish spluttering into life, he picked up a box of tea bags from the back of a cupboard. Not sure whether he was being a little too eager, he grabbed two mugs and dropped a tea bag into one of them, ready for whenever Louis decided to turn up.

‘Come on, where are you?’ Nick asked himself as he picked up his coffee, adding a splash of milk and two teaspoons of sugar to help wake up.

When the doorbell rang a few seconds later, Nick jumped so violently that he spilled his coffee all down his shirt and onto his jeans.

‘Oh my god…fuck!’ He swore, slamming the coffee down and racing into the hallway. He yanked open the door. 

Louis had his back to the door as Nick wrenched the door open and he turned slowly, a small smile on his face.

‘You’re here.’ Nick breathed out, standing to one side so Louis could come inside.  
‘Finally. Forgot you bloody moved though, looked like a right idiot knocking on the door of your old place.’ Louis said with a wry smile, dropping an overnight sized bag onto the floor and closing the door.

‘Probably just as well there was no answer, can you imagine whoever lives there now’s face if they’d opened the door to Louis Tomlinson!’ Nick laughed lightly.  
‘Yeah, could’ve been awkward.’ Louis agreed. ‘What did you do to your top?’ He asked Nick, nodding in the direction of the spilled coffee.  
‘The doorbell made me jump…I’m just going to go and change. I’ll be right back – make yourself at home – PIG!’ Nick hollered through to the lounge, making Louis jump slightly. 

Pig came trotting into the hallway, wagging her tail delightedly at her newest visitor.

*** 

Nick took a few deep breaths as he finished getting changed, looking at himself in his mirror. ‘Ok, calm down, it’s just Louis.’ He told himself.

Jogging down the stairs, he heard Louis pottering around in the kitchen, talking to Pig.

‘I found some teabags.’ Nick said as he walked into the kitchen.

Louis held up a mug and tipped it in Nick’s direction. ‘Found it, thank you.’

Nick smiled and walked further into the kitchen. Louis was leaning against one work surface and Nick leant up against the one opposite him.

‘So…how are you doing?’ Nick asked carefully. He had no idea at all how to broach the subject so decided to dive in.

Louis took a sip of tea, blowing the top of it before he did so and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Today is the first day I’ve been sober for longer than about 3 hours.’ He admitted.

Nick nodded. ‘Well, it is only 10am, so I guess that’s good?’ He asked with a small smile.  
‘It was pretty much the worst day of my life.’ Louis told him, moving from the work surface and sitting down at the table near the kitchen door.

Nick followed him, sitting down opposite him. ‘I want to say I can imagine, but like… I can’t…but I’m so sorry.’

Louis pulled a face. ‘I was convinced he was mine. I guess I’d just talked myself into the fact that he was.’  
‘Why did you do a paternity test?’ Nick asked.  
‘Management insisted on it. I guess they were right. Tossers.’ He commented, taking another sip of his tea.

Nick smiled. ‘I’m really sorry.’  
‘I should be the one apologising.’ Louis said, meeting Nick’s eyes fleetingly before looking down at his cup of tea. ‘Harry told me you er, well, were a bit bummed out I wasn’t there when you got up the day you left.

Nick blushed slightly. ‘Harry’s got a big mouth. And great choice of words!’

Louis laughed loudly. ‘Ok, sorry, bad expression to use! Although, you know, you kind of had been…!’ He teased. ‘But, like, I thought I’d be back before you would have gone and then I got the news and I had a meeting with management who were so fucking pleased that Freddie wasn’t…isn’t mine and it was horrible and I’d had such a great time the night before. But then…I got back in a right state and Harry told me you’d gone and I just kind of … lost the plot.’ Louis admitted.

Nick smiled wryly. ‘Thought you regretted it.’ He admitted, biting down on his bottom lip nervously.

Louis put down his tea and reached across the table. ‘Not for one minute.’ He said, covering one of Nick’s hands with his own hands.

Nick smiled, his stomach lurching at Louis’ touch. ‘Good. Me neither.’

‘Can I ask you something?’ Louis asked.  
Nick nodded eagerly. ‘Anything.’  
‘That conversation we had in your room about sex without emotions and stuff.’  
‘Yeah.’ Nick encouraged Louis on.  
Louis let out a breath. ‘It wasn’t like that for me, that night, and I need to know if it was for you. Whether …’

Nick squeezed Louis’ hand, stopping the other man from talking. ‘It wasn’t. I’ve… bloody hell, right… I’ve kind of been crushing on you for ages, and I mean, AGES, and whilst I’m good at sex with no emotions with some people, I already knew it wouldn’t be like that with you.’

Louis sat back again, stretching his legs out and entwining them with Nick’s under the table. ‘Harry told me it was a huge deal to you that I did you.’ He said. ‘You did promise me that next time…’

Nick blushed and grinned widely. ‘Jeez, that boy has got a big mouth on him. And a promise…?’ He questioned, a glint in his eye.  
‘Why was it a huge deal?’ Louis wanted to know.

Nick blew out a breath. ‘Only other guy that has, I was with him for ages, and he broke my heart so kind of thought I wouldn’t do it again until I was in a steady relationship.’  
‘Sounds like an idiot.’ Louis smiled.  
‘Yeah. The biggest.’ Nick agreed, bursting out with laughter at the look on Louis’ face. ‘I mean, he was the biggest idiot! Not that!’

Louis peered at Nick. ‘Guess that was maybe Harry?’ He asked, a little unsure of himself.  
‘That was a stupid one-off. You know what he’s like!’  
‘Tell me what happened.’ Louis asked.

Nick shook his head. ‘It doesn’t matter what happened.’  
‘Kind of does to me.’ Louis admitted. 

Nick sighed. ‘We’d been out, he’d come back here and got into my bed and I thought he was asleep when I got in. Anyway, he kind of sidled up to me and was handsy and I was horny and one thing lead to another.’ Nick blushed as Louis pushed his chair back and stood up.

He walked around to Nick’s side of the table and swung his leg over Nick’s lap, straddling him as he wrapped his arms around Nick’s neck.

‘I was so jealous that night you mentioned it.’  
‘I realise that now!’ Nick laughed, putting his arms around Louis’ waist.  
‘The thought of him with his hands on you and I hadn’t gotten anywhere close to getting you to myself.’ Louis said, rolling his hips gently against Nick.  
‘Uh…where did you go?’ Nick asked, gulping.  
‘Niall’s. Ranted about how much I wanted you, how fucking unfair life was and told him Harry’s basically in love with him.’

Nick’s eyes widened. ‘Wow. Have they spoken since I left?’  
‘Nope. They’re both being dicks.’  
‘Something we’d never do.’ Nick said with a wry smile.

Louis laughed and shook his head. ‘No, we’d never do something like that, like, at all.’

Nick pulled Louis closer to him. ‘Just as well we’re not stupid.’ He said, leaning up to kiss Louis.

Louis sighed into the kiss, shuffling closer on Nick’s lap, pushing his hips into Nick’s again.

A minute or so later, Louis pulled back. ‘So, this promise you made me…’  
‘Remind me, I don’t quite remember.’ Nick teased, sliding his hands underneath Louis’ t-shirt and his hands covering a fair proportion of Louis’ back.

Louis leant forward, his lips brushing Nick’s ear. ‘That you’d fuck me.’ He murmured, nipping at Nick’s ear lobe.  
‘Fuck…’ Nick panted.  
‘Would you like to carry through that promise now?’ Louis whispered.  
‘I would like nothing more than that.’ Nick replied.

*** 

‘Fuck…’ Louis panted as Nick thrust three fingers into him some time later.  
‘Patience…’ Nick teased, scissoring his fingers and pressing against Louis’ prostate.  
‘I have none left, please Nick.’ Louis gasped, groaning loudly as Nick withdrew his fingers and Louis gasped at how empty he felt now.

Leaning over, Nick grabbed a foil packet and the lube. Tearing open the packet, he slid the condom onto himself, making sure he had plenty of lube on him.

‘How do you want to do this?’ Nick asked Louis who was just staring up at him wide eyed.  
‘How many ways are there?!’ Louis laughed breathily.

Nick let out a small laugh. ‘Oh god, I want to show you all the ways, everything.’ He murmured as he leaned over Louis’ body, sucking a mark into Louis neck, revelling in the way that Louis gasped and squirmed beneath him. He began to kiss Louis, raising himself up on his knees, holding himself in one hand and nudging the head of his cock against Louis’ hole.

Louis nearly bounced off the bed as Nick pushed the head of his cock inside of him.

‘Oh … oh …’ Louis breathed out, feeling as though all of the air had been punched out of his lungs. ‘Wait…’ He gasped.

Nick stilled immediately, pressing his lips against Louis’ again, trying to distract him, stroking the back of his hand down Louis’ side.

‘Ok, more…’ Louis gasped, eyes squeezed shut as Nick pushed further and further in.

‘More?’ Nick asked, almost sheathed entirely in Louis’ body and Louis nodded fervently, letting out the filthiest moan Nick had ever heard as Nick bottomed out, Louis gripping Nick’s biceps so tightly that Nick knew there would be finger shaped bruises on his arms tomorrow and that thought turning him on even more. Louis panted, gasping for breath as Nick fought the urge to move.

‘Move, please move Nick…’ Louis begged, wrapping his arms around Nick’s neck, holding him close as Nick pulled out a little way and then pushed back inside, his stomach pushed up against Louis’ weeping cock, feeling it pulsate against his skin.

Louis body was tense beneath Nick as he began to roll his hips, trying to get Louis used to the movements, used to his size and slowly, Nick watched him relax, his fingers loosening their death grip on Nick’s arms and as Nick pulled out a little further than he had been doing, Louis’ hips chased him and as Nick pushed back into Louis, Louis groaned.

‘Oh my god, this is amazing.’ He panted. ‘Fuck…oh god Nick…’ He continued, thrusting his hips up faster and faster to match Nick’s thrusts.

‘I won’t last long if you keep talking like that!’ Nick laughed, not joking in the slightest.

Louis grinned up at Nick. ‘Ah, so dirty talk gets you off, does it? Something to remember for the future…’ He winked, his entire body going slack as Nick pushed into his harder than before, his cock hitting Louis’ prostate and Louis’ body jerking violently beneath him.  
‘Future?’ Nick asked, unable to help himself.  
‘Fuck yeah, you’re gonna do this to me again and again.’ Louis wheezed. ‘I may never let you out of this bed again.’

Nick grinned, leaning down to kiss Louis again and sliding his hand between them, wrapping his hand around Louis’ cock, letting out a groan as Louis pushed into his hand hard, the tip weeping.

‘Like that?’ Nick teased, turning his wrist, his thumb stroking over the head.  
‘Like you’ve no idea…’  
‘Gonna come for me, gonna show me how pretty you look when you come?’ Nick murmured in Louis’ ear, feeling Louis’ body tense, his legs shaking where they were wrapped around Nick before he let out a guttural moan, liquid seeping onto Nick’s hand as Louis came, the moans coming from deep within Louis as he came down from his high.

Nick’s hips sped up, even more turned on from the noises that Louis was making and as Louis’ hole tightened around him with sensitivity, Nick thrust forward one last time, Louis’ name tumbling from his lips as he did so, shooting hard into Louis.

*** 

Nick’s eyes flickered open as he realised he couldn’t feel his left arm. He grinned to himself as he saw Louis watching him.

‘Hey.’ He grinned.

Louis smiled back. ‘Hi. How you doing?’  
‘Not sure. Can’t work out if I’m dreaming.’ Nick said, pulling Louis closer to him. ‘What are your plans now?’  
‘Well, thought that we could grab some lunch, I’m starving.’ Louis said, pressing his lips against Nick’s.

Nick laughed. ‘I meant in life! Although some lunch could be good.’ He agreed.

Louis shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Don’t need to be in LA anymore though.’  
‘Need somewhere to hang out for a while?’ Nick asked lazily.  
‘Well, I do own a house in London…’  
‘Damn.’  
‘But, you know, I could use some company.’ Louis smiled.

*** 

Nick was on his way to work the following morning when Harry called.  
‘Wasn’t sure if you’d have called in sick.’ Harry laughed as FaceTime loaded.  
‘You wound me! Of course I wouldn’t have phoned in sick!’  
‘He could’ve had you handcuffed to the bed.’  
‘Then I wouldn’t have answered the phone, would I!’  
‘Things ok?’ Harry asked.  
‘Yeah. Pretty amazing to be honest.’ Nick grinned. ‘How about you? Any news?’

Harry looked at Nick confused.

‘Niall?’ Nick reminded him with a smile.  
‘Oh! Oh. There might be…’ Harry grinned, beginning to look embarrassed.  
‘What happened?!’  
‘I kind of took a leaf out of Louis’ book and just turned up at Niall’s house and told him how I feel.’ Harry said, unable to wipe the smile off his face.  
‘And what did he say?’ Nick was dying to know.

All of a sudden, Niall came into view, resting his head on Harry’s shoulder. ‘Morning.’ 

‘Fuck! Bloody hell, warn a guy! Please tell me you two are dressed!’ Nick cried.

Niall winked at Nick. ‘Stark bollock naked!’

‘Oh my god, it’s too early! I shall talk to you later Styles!’ Nick grimaced, winking back at them before ending the call.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Tracklist is actually one that Nick had on the Breakfast Show over the summer. The songs were...
> 
> Miami – Will Smith  
> Wannabe – Spice Girls  
> All Star – Smash Mouth  
> Funkytown – Lipps Inc  
> Scream and Shout – Will.I.Am  
> Toxic – Britney  
> Sandstorm – Darude  
> Good Luck – Basement Jaxx  
> Let The Sun Shine – Labrinth  
> Thong Song – Sisqo  
> Macarena – Los Del Rios  
> Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
> 
>  
> 
> The lullaby that Louis sings is Lost Boy by Ruth B


End file.
